Focus
by Jenny7
Summary: After a metaphysical awakening, Hyde develops the ability to telepathically connect with a single stranger. What he doesn't expect is that the girl that he shares the connection with, a rich cheerleader with a complicated past, will forever alter his views on life and love. Hyde/Jackie
1. Chapter 1

Story Summary: After a metaphysical awakening, Hyde develops the ability to telepathically connect with a single stranger. What he doesn't expect is that the girl that he shares the connection with, a rich cheerleader with a complicated past, will forever alter his views on life and love.

Authors Note: This idea came to me after watching the 2014 movie 'In Your Eyes'. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it not only to make this story more understandable but also because it's quite impressive on its own. :) The prologue takes place when Hyde and Jackie are kids but the main chunk of the story will take place in 1976, around the time 'That 70s Show' began. For this story, Jackie lives in California with her parents and Hyde lives in Point Place with Bud and Edna. Other characters will come into play but this story is, ultimately, a Jackie/Hyde romance. Please review and let me know what you think of this idea. :)

Rating: Rated T for swearing and violence.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. This story will be a crossover using the characters of 'That 70s Show' and the premise of 'In Your Eyes'. There are lyrics and mention of the song "The End" by The Doors.

Point Place Wisconsin-1969

Hyde thrust his hands into his pockets and waited, impatiently, for his moment.

The wall of graffiti behind him, also home to Grooves Record Store, was the last obstacle in his quest.

His dads aviators slid down his nose and he, casually, nudged them back into place. He pulled his jean jacket, a pathetic shield for the winter winds of Wisconsin, tightly around chest. It would all be worth it, he told himself, once he made it out alive.

Droves of hippies and burnouts flocked in and out of the record store. Some stopped to point and laugh at him. They called him a scruffy haired kid and told him to go back to the playground.

"Whatever, man." Was his only reply.

Seeing how packed the store had become, he took his shot. Straightening, a cool expression on his face, he marched inside. The smooth tones of Procol Harum played from the store speakers. He squeezed past a hot hippy chick. Her hair hung down to her butt and her colorful dress covered most of her body. She danced to her own psychedelic trip, eyes closed, and ran her fingers through his afro as he passed by.

He smirked. Acid stoners amused him.

Reaching the Rock section, he stopped. Following the alphabetical tabs to "D", he immediately found his objective.

The Doors.

The album may as well have glowed between his grubby fingers. From the intricate photo of Morrison on the front cover to the electrifying track list on the back, Hyde was intoxicated. He traced the song titles from "Break on Through" to "The End". It represented everything that he wasn't supposed to be.

He fucking loved it.

Eyes darting around the store, he examined his options. Customers lined the walls of the small space. The music kept a strong volume and chatting teenagers made up for any dips in sound. Behind the counter stood a man in a long beard and dreadlocks. He worked here, supposedly, but never looked up from his Rolling Stone magazine. The smokey haze never quite left his side.

Hyde slipped the record between the folds of his jean jacket. Confident in his endeavor, he stepped past the dancing hippies and around the jamming Rastafarians. He reached the front door and took a triumphant step onto the sidewalk.

"Home free." He muttered with a snicker.

"Hey kid, you hafta pay for that ya know!"

Crap.

He made the mistake of turning around. An older woman in a short bob and hot pink dress stared back. One hand held a Chubby Checker album. The other pointed at him.

He bolted. Voices sounded behind him but he didn't bother looking back. He pumped his legs hard through the piles of snow and slush. His lungs protested, loudly, and his chest burned. The frigid winter air felt good on his sweaty skin.

Spying the corner up ahead, Hyde made a plan. Foremans' house was only a few blocks away. He just had to lose his pursuers. Rounding the corner, he sped up. That was when he hit ice. His sneakers, years old and lacking traction, slid out from underneath him. Before he knew it, he no longer had contact with the ground. The air held him in a frozen state. Time stopped. His vision blurred and the sky, a bright blue today, merged with the hazy image of something else.

* * *

 _A small hand, tan in color, reached higher towards a shelf much taller than the girl it belonged to. She stood, fearlessly, on her tip toes and thrust upwards until her fingertips touched a smooth surface. Wrapping around the hidden object, she pulled her arm back to reveal a cream colored unicorn statue. Smiling, she ran her thumb over the smooth texture and savored the curves of its tail. Childish glee enveloped her as she flew the glass unicorn through the air in long dramatic swoops._

 _An angry voice interrupted her giggles. She startled and stilled the statue midair.  
_

" _Jacqueline, if I find you in my office you are in big trouble!"_

* * *

With an audible crack, Hyde was blinded. He closed his eyes and grabbed his right arm. The pain radiated from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. It throbbed to the touch. When he opened his eyes, again, he was lying on the sidewalk. A crowd looked on as two cops stood beside him.

"Alright, son. Nice try. Now lets get you to the hospital." The officer leaned down and picked him up. The pain intensified with the sudden movement. Hyde ground his teeth to avoid screaming. "Don't worry, we'll call your parents as soon as we get there."

He pinched his eyes closed.

A broken arm was nothing compared to what Bud would do to him.

* * *

 _Over 2000 miles away, at that very same moment, a tiny brunette girl screamed._

 _She fell to the floor of her parents' mansion and clutched her right arm._

" _Jacqueline, what is going on?" A large man, wearing a suit and tie, stormed into the office and stood over her. She writhed on the solid wood floor. Holding her arm close, tears fell freely from her mismatched eyes._

" _Daddy, it hurts!"_

 _It did hurt. This was beyond any skinned knee or splinter she had ever had. She just wanted it to stop. Pleading for help, she looked up at her father._

 _Instead, Jack Burdhardts eyes locked on the shattered glass surrounding her. He leaned down and picked up the partially broken head of a unicorn._

 _His eyes narrowed and his voice became a searing whisper. "What did I say about touching your mothers things?"_

 _His face red with anger, he stood and walked back into the hallway._

" _Esmerelda, clean up this mess before Pam gets home."_

 _Jackie, still stunned from the pain, scooted to the wall and braced against it. Panting through the sharp pulses in her arm, she found comfort in the lyrics to a song that she could not recall hearing until that very moment._

"Can you picture what will be  
So limitless and free  
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand  
In a...desperate land"


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: So, I hope this explains the situation well enough. I didn't realize how hard it would be to switch POVs so often. Just proves that Joss Whedon knows what he's doing. :) For future reference, any block of text in italics indicates that the character is looking through the other characters eyes. Their conversations will be in plain text. Anyway, thanks for your interest and let me know how I did.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. There is mention of a Todd Rundgren song which I also don't own.

 **Point Place-1976-Midnight**

Hands in his pockets, Hyde walked the cracked streets of Point Place towards his neighborhood.

Foreman had offered to drop him off after the concert, but he opted to walk instead. The night was cool and the breeze was just enough for him to need his jean jacket. He stepped around a pothole and dodged some passing headlights. All the while, he whistled the melody to "Hello, Its Me".

Not that anyone would ever know that he _whistled_. For the record, Hyde was not a whistler.

Except on nights like this, when the quiet was too much.

He liked his friends. Foreman was the closest thing he had to a brother. Kelso and Fes were good for a laugh. Donna was…well Donna was hot. He smiled. The memory of them swaying together at the concert brightened his declining mood. He had been nursing an attraction to her for a while now. But he had caught her making 'kiss me' eyes at Foreman a few too many times to pursue that.

He held the code sacred. If Donna wanted the skinny nerd, instead, than it was her loss.

He turned the corner at Baker St, figuring he'd take the long way home. He was in no hurry to be back under Ednas thumb. Ever since Bud had split, she seemed to get angrier by the day. He had the welts to prove it. With Bud he'd always fight back but Hyde didn't hit women. Edna would probably kill him before he'd lay a hand on her.

Honor and survival didn't always mix, he'd learned.

Sighing, he felt the cloud of sadness fall over him again. He pulled his jean jacket tighter against the evening chill. His moods weren't something he considered too often. They came and went, as most things did. Tonight, though, he swore that he should be happier. It'd been a great night and he didn't have many of those. Still, he had a funny feeling in the back of his head.

He hadn't even smoked that much today.

Suddenly introspective, Hyde stopped a few blocks from home and took a detour.

* * *

 **San Fernando Valley, California -10pm**

Jackie hugged the armrest of the floral patterned sofa. Big enough for three, her friends had just decided to cram a sixth person onto its cushions. This pushed her upwards and halfway onto the lap of the boy next to her.

With a sly grin, he snaked arms around her waist. "Hey, baby!"

"Eeew! Let me go, you pig." She stood up and moved out of his grasp. Straightening her dress, she strutted towards the front door. Before she could make her escape, though, an arm blocked her path.

"Jackie, baby, where you going? The party is just getting started." Todd, a football jock with arms as big as her waist, stretched across the threshold and forced her back inside.

Jackie, hardly defeated, stood strong. "Great, will be there more sleazy guys here to grope me?"

Todd laughed and took a step towards her. "Well we could probably arrange something. You know, I'm always free to grope you, baby."

She shoved him with no effect whatsoever. "Go grope yourself, Todd." She looked past him to the front porch. Most of the team crowded around a bonfire minus the one person she needed. "Where's Chip?"

Todd shrugged. "I'm not his keeper." He brought a cup to his lips and swallowed some of the dark liquid. "He's your boyfriend, anyway."

His eyes lit up as a tall blonde waltzed towards him. She linked her arms around him and smiled. "Hey Stud, wanna get a room?"

Jackie scrunched her nose in disgust. "Whatever, Todd. Tell Chip I'm leaving."

Just as she moved past them, the blonde spoke up. "Are you looking for Chip?"

Jackie stopped, took a deep breath, and turned. "Actually, yes. Have you seen him?"

The blonde pulled her tongue from Todds ear just long enough to answer. "He was in the back bedroom earlier."

Jackie swallowed. A wave of concern shadowed her features. "Thanks…" She turned and walked towards the bedrooms. "Whore."

She weaved through the sea of drunk teenagers until she reached the hallway. She followed it down, past the baby pictures of the host, and stopped at the closed door of the back bedroom. Taking a breath, she knocked.

"Hey, we're busy!" She scrunched her brows. That had been Chips voice.

Blood rushed to her face as she jiggled the knob and opened the door on the first try.

Then, her world crumbled.

There, on the bed, sat her boyfriend. His stark naked form hardly covered the massive chest of the redhead straddling his lap.

The girl shrieked and jumped off of him. Chip sat, unashamed, and eyed Jackie.

"Jackie, baby, it doesn't mean anything."

Her breath came in short gasps. Tears poured from her eyes before she knew she was crying. Her voice stuck in her throat despite her desperate need to scream.

"Baby, come on…" He pulled his boxers on and started towards her.

As a new song flowed from the record player, a slow Rundgren tune, she turned and ran. She pushed through the condensed crowd and ignored the half naked man running after her. When she reached the porch she stopped, briefly, and looked back. Seeing that Chip was still in pursuit, she moved forward.

"Jackie, stop!" His fingers entwined around her arm and caused her to lose footing. She pulled away from him just in time to tumble to the ground.

"Don't touch me ever again!" She screamed from the porch floor. Tears spilled from her eyes like rain. She ignored the many extended hands and pushed herself up from the floor. Dusting off her dress, she eyed Chip. "You're disgusting."

She stomped off the porch and down to the sidewalk. She was two blocks away from the house before she realized how she'd gotten there.

Her ride, Rhonda, was still at the party.

With a sigh, she continued walking towards the nearest pay phone she could think of. The night air chilled her exposed arms. She took turns rubbing them. While her tears had dried, her heart had broken. Sadness overwhelmed her.

And to think she was going to let Chip be her first.

Finally reaching the pay phone, she picked it up and dialed the nearest cab company.

Hyde hopped a wired fence and found himself in the middle of a playground.

The darkness added a creep factor to the normally innocent dwelling. Deciding that this was exactly what he needed, he walked towards a swing and sat down on the flexible surface. He gripped the chains and pushed himself forward and back until the swing took its own path.

He continued humming and dragged his ragged old boots over the sand below.

Noticing that his laces were untied, he reached down. Just as he grasped them in his fingers, they changed.

* * *

 _The blurred hand of a girl took focus. It wrapped around a pay phone receiver while the other lingered over the buttons. A voice, too high to be his own, sounded clearly in his ears._

" _Yes, hi. I need a cab, please. Uh…the valley? It's a phone booth, I don't have an address! Fine, whatever. Just please hurry."_

* * *

"Hello?" Hyde spoke to his shoes. He tensed, ready for a fight. "Someone here?"

Jackie dropped the phone. She turned circles in the phone booth, looking for the owner of the deeper voice. Not seeing anyone, she cowered behind the phone.

"Chip, go away!" She waited a beat with no response. "I'm serious, we're done."

Hyde squinted. The dark park faded to the background as the image of a dirty phone booth took its place. Jumping from the swing, he stood ready in the middle of the playground. Shaking his head straight, he spoke. "Look, I don't have any money, okay? I don't hit chicks and I'm not looking for a fight."

Jackie cowered further behind the pay phone. Her eyes blurred over the shadow of a Merry-go-Round. The dial tone began humming. Covering her ears, she shrank to the floor of the phone booth.

"I have money. You can have it all. Please don't hurt me."

Realizing this wasn't getting him anywhere, Hyde stilled and held his hands in the air. "Look, I don't want your money and I'm not gonna hurt you." He squinted and further studied the phone booth in his head. "Where are you?"

Jackie swallowed fresh tears. From the floor, she examined her surroundings. "Um…somewhere in the valley? I don't know. My boyfriend, I mean ex-boyfriend, dragged me to this party and I got groped and now I don't know where I am and I might be going crazy."

Hyde listened to the girl sob. He dropped his hands and sat down in the sand beneath him. With a sigh, he continued. "Well, if you're crazy than I'm crazy. So, there's that." He paused. "Wait, the valley? As in…California?"

Jackie relaxed, slightly, and dropped her hands from her ears. "Yes. Why? Where are _you_?" She looked around the booth again, suddenly fearful.

Hyde chuckled and lay back onto the sand. "Point Place, Wisconsin." He silently went over just how much weed he'd smoked in the last twenty-four hours. "You don't happen to do drugs, do you?"

Jackie crossed her legs and wiped her face. Her sobs quieted. "No! I don't even like beer. It makes me all woozy."

Hyde laughed, ignoring the fact that the whole situation was impossible. "That's the point, doll."

"So, wait…" Jackie shifted and wrapped her arms over her chilled body. "You're in Wisconsin? Like, the place that makes the cheese?"

Hyde smirked. Suddenly cold, he rubbed his hands together. "Well, I don't personally make the cheese but I do know a guy who does." He marveled at the sudden drop in temperature. "Hey, is it cold in California?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed with a smile. "At least it is tonight. I left my jacket at the party along with my ride home."

Hyde squinted, suddenly interested. "The groping party? Sounds rough." He paused. "Stupid question, but do you have someone to call?"

Jackie smiled to herself. She traced her finger along her boot. She squinted and it became a starry sky. "Yea, I called a cab. It should be here soon." Her eyes lit up. "Hey! Can you read my thoughts?"

Hyde pondered. "Uh, I don't know. Think of something."

Jackie put her fingers to her temples and focused on one object. "Okay. What am I thinking?"

Seeing nothing but the night sky, Hyde sighed. "Don't know. Guess it doesn't work that way."

Jackie frowned. "Oh. Well, I was thinking about this unicorn painting that I saw at the mall. It's so pretty. I'm thinking of going back and buying it."

"Huh." Hyde, disinterested, flashed back to a day ten years before. He shot up. "Crap! Did, ok, you didn't happen to break a unicorn statue when you were a kid, did you?"

Jackies eyes grew wide. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Yes! Well, it was my moms statue but I was playing with it and I got this awful pain in my arm and…."

"Crap!" It was Hyde's turn to gasp. He covered his ears with his hands. "I broke my arm that day. My _right_ arm."

Jackie fingered her right arm, gingerly. Her eyes softened. "That was the worst pain I've ever felt."

Silence ensued wherein they both took in their situation. Then, Jackie spoke.

"That was ten years ago, Um…what should I call you?"

His eyes followed her red fingernails as they rubbed her arm. "Well, most people call me Hyde. Do you have a name?"

"Jackie. Well, Jacqueline but I prefer Jackie." Her eyes burned as headlights pulled into the parking lot. "So, what do the rest of the people call you?"

Hyde shielded his eyes from the bright lights. "Well, my real name is Steven..."

The cab pulled up next to the phone booth. Jackie gripped the walls and pushed herself into a standing position. "Well, it was really nice meeting you Steven. My cab is here."

Hyde jumped up and brushed the sand from his jeans. "Oh, uh, okay. I mean, would you wanna hallucinate again sometime?" He smirked.

Jackie smiled as she gathered her purse. "Okay. How about tomorrow? nine o'clock?"

Hyde nodded, knowing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway. "Yea, sure." He watched through her eyes as she walked towards the cab. "Um, hey Jackie. Just in case this doesn't work again tomorrow, this is the best trip I've ever had."

Jackie smiled wide, happiness clouding her formerly tearful eyes. "Me, too Steven." She whispered. "Goodnight."

"Yea…" Hyde paced, slowly, back towards the street, smiling. "Goodnight."


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews! I know crossovers aren't for everyone. This is, actually, the first one I've ever written so be kind, please. :) Also, if you haven't noticed yet, I will be including plot lines from actual episodes of 'That 70s Show" though they may not go in the same order and some may be skipped entirely to support my own little AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. There is mention to Janis Joplin and her music, which I also do not own.

 **Beverly Hills, California-The Next Morning**

The harsh light of morning poured into the hot pink bedroom.

Jackie curled into a ball and pulled the covers over her head, blocking its unwelcome intrusion.

The entire night remained a blur. Her cheeks burned from hours of hot tears and her eyes swelled with lack of sleep.

Holding the pink bedspread aloft, she examined the patterns of light reflected through its fibers. Shadows of flowers danced over her flannel pajamas. With a small smile, she dropped one end of the bedspread and fingered the shadow of a daisy. As she traced the petals, she thought of Chip.

"He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me." She paused as she reached the last petal. "Figures."

Choosing a different flower, she touched the first petal and thought of the other boy she'd met last night.

"Steven." She whispered as she traced each colorless outline. Her smile returned, briefly, before falling into a confused panic.

She climbed out from beneath the covers to check her bedside clock.

8:52.

Sitting up, she threw the covers from her body. Running to her vanity mirror, she leaned in close and examined her face. Her cheeks glowed red and her eyes sunk beneath swollen lids. She was hardly presentable.

With a sudden realization, she sank into her vanity seat and laughed bitterly.

It couldn't have been real, could it? In her upset, she had hallucinated that voice. That was it, a temporary moment of insanity.

After all, this kind of magic only existed in fairy tales.

Leaning her head into the darkness of her hands, Jackie sighed. She whispered into her clammy fingers. "Jackie, don't be stupid."

 _The darkness faded to reveal a barely lit Led Zeppelin poster._

 _And two masculine arms propped against it._

Jackie jumped up, confused, and nearly ran face first into her bedroom wall.

She gasped, loudly, and spun circles. "Steven?"

Hyde pushed back from his wall. He exhaled, sharply, and placed his hands behind his head. He stared at the water-damaged ceiling of his bedroom and closed his eyes.

"Jackie?" He opened his eyes and squinted.

 _Pink walls moved in circles around him. He caught a glimpse of a bed and a quick flash of a girl in the mirror before focusing on a single ABBA poster._

"Shit, I thought for sure I'd just smoked a bad batch." He laughed, manically, before settling back on his bed.

"This is crazy!" Jackie paced between her ABBA poster and her bedroom door. She fiddled with her fingers, nervously. "How is this happening?"

Hyde stood again, too anxious to sit still, and smiled at the passing image of a stuffed unicorn. "You got me, doll." Taking a deep breath, he finally settled against his window. "So, uh, I take it you got home okay?"

Jackie squinted at the sight of a narrow street filled with rundown houses. "Yea, fine. My parents didn't even know I was gone." She studied the street through a blurred pane of glass. "Is this your neighborhood?"

Startled, Hyde jumped back from the window and focused on a bare wall. "Uh, yea. Not much to see."

Jackie stuck her lip out in a tremendous pout and whined. "Please Steven, I wanna see your room."

With a sly smile, he crossed his arms and relaxed against the wall. "Oh, is that your weapon of choice?"

Jackie smiled in return, eyes glistening. She sat on her bed and gripped the blankets beneath her. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Steven Hyde."

He laughed. His nerves dissipating at her, oddly, familiar presence, he nodded.

"Smooth." He smirked and stood away from the wall. "But I'm not that easy."

Jackie pouted again. She maximized her sad girl face as much as possible. "But Steeven…" The words came out in a most dramatic whine.

Her words pounded in his head and grated on his nerves. As annoying as her pleas were, he respected her dedicated manipulation.

With a sigh, he relented. "Fine, if it'll make you shut your damn pie hole."

He held his hands around his face to easily control the images. Slowly, he turned a circle around his tiny room. He drifted from the mattress on the floor to the overused record player and across the many posters that lined his walls. He deliberated avoided the hole he'd punched in the door the other day and the piles of laundry scattered across his floor.

Jackie raised her eyebrows, taking it all in. Her smiled faded into concentration as she observed the dreary surroundings of her new friend. When he landed on his record collection, she gasped.

"Yea, like I said-not much." Hyde replied, suddenly embarrassed, and focused on the single Led Zeppelin poster again.

"No!" Jackie jumped up, clapping her hands. "You listen to Janis Joplin! I love her."

Hyde brightened. He moved towards the disorganized pile of records and pieced through to Janis' greatest hits. "Uh, yea. She's cool. You know, for a chick."

Jackie danced around her room and hummed the melody to "Piece of My Heart". "No, Steven, she's cool for a _dirty_ _hippy_."

Shrugging, Hyde pulled the record out of its' sleeve and placed it on the player. "Whatever. Just listen." He placed the needle at the start of "Me and Bobby McGee" and increased the volume.

Losing herself in the sweet twang of Janis' voice, Jackie twirled. She stepped all around her room and made ballerina circles throughout.

Hyde remained still. He watched the pink walls twirl around as she spun. When he caught a glimpse of her, pajama clad, form passing a mirror, he smiled. She lifted her hands into messy black curls and danced without abandon. Small hips rocked back and forth and her intense concentration shot a spark through his body.

He caught his breath at the sudden shock. Swallowing, he shook his head back to reality.

"Nice flannels, doll." He commented, tongue between his teeth.

"What?" Jackie stumbled in her movements and braced against her bed. She looked up to see her image staring back at her. Her hands flew to her eyes and she fell back onto her bed. "No! You can't see anymore. I don't even have any makeup on!"

Hyde laughed and sat down on his bed. He traced the album cover with his fingers and smiled. "Relax, Jackie. It's cool."

Mortified, she spoke in her hands. "Ugh, these aren't even my cute pajamas!"

Hyde chuckled, despite himself, and shook his head. Feeling her embarrassment, he sobered. "Hey, will it make you feel better if I look in a mirror too?"

Slowly, she peeled her fingers from her eyes. Staring at the white ceiling, she grew a reluctant smile. "Yes, it would."

With a determined nod, Hyde stood. "Fine. Just don't get too excited." He listened at his door first. Quiet, Edna must still be passed out. He, carefully, turned the knob and opened the door just enough to squeeze through. He padded the ten feet to the bathroom and immediately closed the door behind him. With a decided breath, he moved towards the mirror. "Okay. Here goes."

Jackie squinted at the image of a scruffy boy with a mess of wiry curls. His blue eyes stood out from the rest of his features and, immediately, drew her to him. He smirked and she smiled back, suddenly warm all over. "You have really nice eyes."

Suddenly uncomfortable, Hyde looked away from the mirror. He hurried back to his room and picked up his sunglasses. "Yea, right." He reclaimed his spot against the wall and eyed the Zeppelin poster as if it would calm him. "Hey, uh, do you think…"

"Jacqueline?" A foreign voice sounded from his left and he turned to see an empty wall. When he squinted, though, he caught the image of a tall leggy blonde in an orange flowing dress.

Jackie shot up from her bed and stared into the disparaging eyes of her mother.

"Mom?" Panic overwhelmed her. She gathered the blankets of her bed and began to straighten them. "I was just, um, getting dressed."

Pamela strutted towards the bed and ran her hand through Jackie's tangles.

"Jacqueline, I told you to brush your hair one hundred times every night." She pulled her fingers roughly and Jackie winced at the sudden shot of pain in her skull. "Well, it wouldn't hurt if you just did what I asked, sweetie."

Hyde grabbed his own head and stumbled back to his bed, irritated. "Jesus, what the hell?"

Jackie, ignoring his comment, focused on her mother. Tears rimmed her eyes from the shock of pain. "You're right. I'm sorry, mommy."

Placing a hand on Jackies shoulder, she lowered them both down to the bed. "Now, I just wanted to talk to you about this situation with your boyfriend."

Shocked, Jackie shrank away. "What? Mom how did you…."

Pamela held a hand in the air, silencing her. "Chip called early this morning, dear." She ran her fingernails over Jackie's hair, gently this time. "You were asleep but he told me all about what happened and how sorry he is. So, I think you need to call him today and make it up to him."

Hyde, dumbfounded, leaned against the wall, and shook his head.

Jackie, still confused, shook her own head. "But Mom, he cheated on me. With a gross redhead!"

"Shush, now! We have to choose our battles, dear. Chips family is one of the richest families in the Valley. He's your best bet for a worthwhile marriage." She flashed a pageant smiled. Jackie chewed her lips. "Now, go on and call him before he finds a prettier girl, okay dear?"

Dazed, Jackie nodded. Her mom stood from her bed and moved towards the door. "Hurry up and get dressed, sweetie. Your father is taking us out for breakfast before he leaves for his business trip."

She turned on her heels and disappeared through the door. With a long exhale, Jackie fell back onto her bed. Tears slipped past her eyes and dotted her already splotchy cheeks.

"Jackie?" Hyde interrupted. The overheard conversation had only served to piss him off. "You there?"

He rubbed his eyes with his hands. She was crying.

When she spoke it was in a strained whisper. "Steven, I have to go now."

"Wait." He buried his head in his hands and pushed them up through his hair. "Look, you know everything she said is crap, right? I don't care if she _is_ your mom."

Jackie rubbed her tears away and regained composure. "She means well; she does." Jackie stood and began making her bed. "I have to go. I have to get dressed."

Hyde sighed, his disappointment palpable. "Okay. Can we talk tonight?" He asked, hoping.

Jackie smiled, briefly, before turning towards her closet. She, aimlessly, picked through her sundresses. "Sure. When?"

Hyde considered his plans. He was supposed to meet the gang at Foremans around eight. "Ten okay?"

Jackie nodded, defeated. "Uh, yea. That's fine. See you then."

Their connection snuffed, Hyde lay back on his bed and stared at the yellowed ceiling. He placed his hands on his chest and pictured the lively girl dancing in her pajamas.

He knew, even then, that he was in trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note:Circle time! I've always wanted to write a circle scene. This chapter follows the Streaking episode. Thanks for hanging out and reading my drabble. :)

Warning: Drug use. Probably language too, my potty mouth almost always makes an appearance.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

 **Point Place, Wisconsin-11:33pm**

Through the haze of smoke and stale basement air, Hyde spied his circle of friends.

Across from him, Foreman smirked.

"Oh yea, I streaked today. For once, you all wussed out and _I_ did the unlawful thing!" Sitting back, he nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Meet the new Eric Foreman-rebel without a cause."

"Oh please." Fes scrunched his face and pulled his raincoat tighter. "So you ran around naked. I spend half my life naked and no one gives Fes a trophy."

Next to him, Kelso smiled wide. "If there was such a thing as a naked trophy, it would go to me. Remember when I jumped off the water tower naked?" Kelso laughed then fell into an angry pout. "Seriously, guys, where's my trophy?"

Hyde nodded at Foreman. "Foreman, showing a bunch of stuffed shirts your frank and beans doesn't make you James Dean." He paused and smirked. "If anything, it makes you Yogi Bear."

Foreman scrunched his eyebrows. "No, see Yogi wears a hat and tie. Me-totally nude." He paused and raised a curious eyebrow. "And did you just say 'frank and beans'?"

"Wait, are there beans?" Fes replied, serious. "Because if you are hiding beans from Fes he will be pissed."

Kelso, laughing so hard he nearly fell over, pointed at Hyde. "Man, Hyde calls his man parts 'frank and beans'! Burn!"

Hyde, suddenly pissed, scrunched his eyebrows in anger. He pointed a dead stare at Kelso. "At least I didn't name them after the Harlem Globe Trotters."

Kelso, clearly upset, scoffed. "Hey! Pablo, Curly, and Dribbles _are_ going to travel the globe. Just wait till I get my modeling contract, damn!" Kelso jumped up and ran out of the basement door.

Fes, suddenly understanding, interjected. "Oh! His beans are his berries. I see." Fes paused. "Dammit, now I really am hungry."

Sighing, Hyde looked at his watch. Noticing that it was near midnight, he stood. "Well, my frank and beans have a hot date."

"A date?" Foreman stood with him, confused. "Uh, Hyde what kind of girl goes on a date at midnight?"

Fes giggled. Hyde smirked. "My kind of girl Foreman, that's who." He slapped Foreman on the back before heading out the basement door.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself at the water tower. It seemed as good a place as any to talk to Jackie. He climbed the ladder to the top and, just as he sat down, his head began to swim.

With a sly smile, he let her in.

"Nice night, huh?" Squinting, he saw the blurred image of a sandy beach.

Jackie smiled. She toyed with a seashell she'd found only moments before. "It is." She squinted to view a blurred night sky full of gleaming stars. "Wow, it's so beautiful, Steven."

He grinned as he focused on the Wisconsin sky. "Yea, one of the few advantages of Point Place." Pausing, he watched the California waves crash, violently, into the beach. "Hey, I've never been to the ocean before."

"Really? This is like my backyard." Jackie lowered herself onto the sand and sat, cross-legged, and faced the waves. "My parents used to bring me here, when I was a kid, and I'd spend all day building sandcastles."

Hyde smiled at the mental image. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. "Hey, lets build one now."

Jackie, suddenly embarrassed, shook her head. "Nuh uh. I can't."

Hyde smirked. He gripped the railing of the water tower and swung his legs, playfully. "Come on, Jackie! I've never built a sandcastle before." He felt waves of her awkwardness come over him. It only motivated him to tease further. "What if I told you it was my dying wish to build a sandcastle?"

Jackie gasped. Suddenly deeply worried, she pulled her face from her hands just long enough to answer. "Steven, are you dying?"

He shrugged. "Eventually." He gripped the railing and looked down at the ground. "I could fall off of this water tower tonight."

Jackie, hearing the playfulness in his tone, jumped up. "Steven! That is _not_ funny!" Anger morphed her features. "You're lucky you're not here or I'd kill you myself."

Hyde smirked. He focused on the sky. "Sure you would, doll." Pausing, her anger palpable, he relented. "Sorry."

Her anger fading, Jackie focused back on her seashell. "I guess I can forgive you." She sat down in the sand and raked her fingers through its grain. She smiled, remembering the many sunny days she spent here as a kid. "Maybe I _can_ try to build something."

Hyde grinned. He watched the sand envelop her fingernails and savored the grainy texture. "You know, I'm not really a castle guy. I'd settle for a sand trailer."

Jackies laugh was interrupted when a large hand covered her shoulder. She spun around to face the boy it belonged to.

"Chip! You scared me."

Hyde felt her fear. His shoulders squared and his senses sharpened. He focused entirely on her.

"Jackie, what are you doing out here all alone?" Chip stood tall. His presence overwhelmed her. Jackie pushed to a standing position but still found herself five inches below him.

"Um, I was just taking a break from the party." Clutching the seashell in a tight fist, she paced in front of the waves.

When his hands snaked around her waist, she cringed. "Come on baby. We're about to break out the champaign." His lips found her neck in a wet nip. She recoiled and spun from his grasp. "Jackie, what the hell is wrong with you? You're my girlfriend and I can kiss you when I want to."

Anger pulsed through Hydes' temples. He stood and paced the landing of the water tower.

"Just try it _Chip_. You won't know what hit you."

"Please…" Jackie begged them both. "Chip, I'll be right there, okay? I just want to take a walk by myself."

Chip huffed and threw his hands in the air. "Fine, Jackie. Just remember what we discussed." With a finger pointed at her, he retreated towards the bonfire in the distance.

Letting out a long sigh, Jackie collapsed. She crouched in the sand and watched the waves, silently.

"Dick." Hyde mumbled. His fists clenched tight and he fought the urge to punch anything in sight.

Jackie shrugged. "You're not wrong." She rested her chin on her knees. "It's complicated."

"Seems simple to me." Hyde traced the railing with his fingers. "He treats you like crap. Believe me, doll, you can do better."

Jackie squinted and examined the view of the water tower. She reached out into the air and focused between her own hand and Stevens. "It's not entirely his fault." She smiled at the image of his calloused fingers. "What kind of girlfriend doesn't put out?"

Realization dawning, Hyde gripped the railing and swung back into a seated position. "Oh, I see. So _dickhead_ got pissed that he wasn't getting any so he stuck it in the nearest redhead."

Tears threatened, but Jackie fought them off. She pushed her fingers through the sand and smiled, sadly, at the damp embrace. "Pretty much." Standing, she wiped her tears away and walked towards the abandoned beach. "Enough about my love life. Do you have a girlfriend?"

He leaned his forehead against the railing. "Nah."

Jackie smiled, playfully, and kicked some sand into a passing wave. "Boyfriend?"

Hyde shifted, nervously. "Hell no!" Hearing her quiet giggle, he relaxed. "I mean, its cool for some guys or whatever but I'm all about the chicks." When silence followed, he filled it. "Yep, I love boobs."

Hyde dropped his face into his hands and shook his head, shocked at his sudden Forman like qualities. He mouthed 'What the Fuck?' into the night.

Then, Jackie erupted in a contagious giggle.

Hyde allowed the embarrassment to pass. At least she wasn't crying anymore. With a small smile, he squinted. Jackie dodged incoming waves and giggled as they attacked her shoes regardless.

He chanced speaking again. "You know, I'm usually much better with chicks." He paused and fingered the class ring on his pinky. "I think the whole telepathy thing is throwing off my game."

Jackie stood in the water and savored the moment when the cool liquid swallowed her toes. Arms out in the wind, she stared into the Wisconsin sky. "Well, Steven, Jackie Burdhardt is here to help."

Hyde scoffed. He examined her bare feet disappearing into the wet sand. "I hardly need your help, princess."

"Excuse me? Do you even know who you're talking to?" Jackie smirked, suddenly excited, and trotted further away from the crowded bonfire. "For all you know, Steven Hyde, this could be the entire reason why this all happened."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "So, let me get this straight. You think that the reason we went all bionic is so that I can get a date?"

"Hey, do not knock my matchmaking abilities okay?" Jackie stopped and savored the sparkling stars. "I am known for bringing soul mates…" She interconnected her fingers. "…together."

Hyde sneered. "Listen, doll, I don't need any help getting a date, okay? Besides, I'm not the virgin in this conversation."

Jackie stopped walking. Her pulse quickened. Her stomach soured. She looked down at her sand covered feet and kept her focus in her own world.

Hyde closed his eyes. He, lightly, banged his head against the metal railing. "Look, I didn't mean…"

"No, it's true." She swallowed her shame and turned back towards the bonfire. "How would I know anything about love?" Her pace quickened as she focused on the dancing teenagers. "I'm gonna go now. I should get back to the party."

With a defeated sigh, Hyde stood. "Yea, whatever."

When he felt her leave him, Hyde paced. He walked the ledge five times before balling his fist and slamming it into the metal of the water tower.

If Red were around, he'd call him a dumbass for sure.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: If you happen to read these, would you mind dropping a review? :) I'm enjoying writing it regardless, but I like hearing what everyone thinks.

Warning: Active and implied drug use. Hyde and Jackie also have potty mouths.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

 **Point Place, Wisconsin-Midnight (One week later)**

Hyde grimaced as yet another old lady hurried down the aisle towards exciting prizes.

"Come on Bob, can't you pick a hot chick for once." He muttered in between sips of cherry pop.

He considered upgrading to something stronger.

Red and Kitty were out and Foreman was too busy making out with Donna to even notice he was around. They couldn't keep their lips off of each other since the drive-in. Consider the fact that Kelso had started making out with Pam Macy and all that added up to him spending a lot of time in this chair watching crappy TV.

None of that would have been so bad except for the fact that he hadn't spoken to Jackie in nearly a week. She'd shut him out and it was pissing him off more by the second.

"Screw this. I need to get laid." He finished off his cherry pop and headed towards the basement door. He was bound to find some easy chick at the Hub on this lonely Saturday night.

Just as he put his hand on the door handle, his vision exploded.

 _Spotlights of all colors danced around to the rhythm of a disco ball. Countless couples swayed on the dance floor as a tune by the Bee Gees echoed in agonizing acoustics. Hundreds of muffled conversations played out all around. Yet, the only one he could make out was that of a preppy guy in a powder blue pantsuit._

"Steven?"

Her voice sounded foreign after so much time. Adjusting his glasses, he turned from the door. Finding his place on the edge of the sofa, he responded.

"Jackie? What's going on?"

A flash of wooziness coursed through him. The lightheadedness of a long night of drinking combined with the music to magnify his discomfort. Clenching his head, he felt the unsteadiness in his stomach.

"Steven, I've been drinking." Jackie hugged the carpeted wall of the disco. She rubbed her fingers over the fine fibers and took pleasure in their softness. Anything to distract from the fact that she was now dateless.

Hyde laughed. "Yea, doll, I can tell." He leaned forward and focused on her. The room came in and out of focus. She held, tightly, to a wall to orient herself. "Hey, I thought you didn't like beer."

Jackie dragged her fingers along the soft surface as she moved farther from Todds crowd. His voice echoed, painfully, in her ears. "I don't. That's why I'm drinking this." She held up a bright green martini glass and splashed some on herself in the process. "Shoot!"

Hydes eyes widened. "I see." Squinting, he watched her make her way past dancers and inebriated chicks. "Hey, where are you?"

"The disco! Oh, Steven, it's so much fun! I even danced to Donna Summer." She stumbled over a bar stool and fell straight into an older man in a white leisure suit. "Oh! I'm so sorry." She ran her hands over his suit and smiled at the smoothness of the fabric. "I love your suit…"

"Thanks sweetie, I think you'll like what's underneath too…"

Hyde, immediately in protective mode, jumped up. "Hey Jackie, that's not a nice man. Get out of there okay?" He paced, frustrated that he couldn't do a damn thing to protect her.

Jackie giggled. "Hey, are you a nice man? Because Steven says that you're not. He's the voice in my head except he's real. He lives in Wisconsin. That's where they make cheese!"

The man linked his arm around her waste and pulled her closer. "Don't you worry, honey, I'm plenty nice."

Hyde ran his hands through his hair. "Ugh! Jackie, get the hell out of there!" He turned away and spoke through clenched teeth. "If you lay one hand on her, I swear I'll kick your ass."

She caught the scent of strong cologne and a hiccup escape her lips. Soon, Jackie's stomach turned. She threw a hand to her mouth and moved away from his hold. "Oh, I'm going to be sick."

Hyde breathed a sigh of relief as the man released her without resistance. He watched the club disappear as she ran through a door and into the ladies room. He closed his eyes for the rest, his stomach already queasy enough.

When the retching stopped, he opened his eyes to the sight of a dirty green stall.

"Hey doll, you okay?"

Jackie savored the chill of the tile floor. She ran her hand over its dirty surface and wished her whole body could feel so cool. Sweat stained her pretty pink dress and she frowned. "Steven, I ruined my dress."

Hyde smiled and sank into the couch. "Nah, it just has character now."

Jackie laughed. She stopped when her head throbbed. "Ugh. Is this what it's like to be drunk?" Curling up against the toilet seat, she closed her eyes.

He felt her misery and, suddenly, that beer didn't sound so good anymore. "Got that right." He tried to see through her, but everything was dark behind her eyelids. "Hey, how'd you get so drunk anyway? You don't even like drinking."

Jackie shifted in her spot and settled against the stall wall. "Todd kept giving me drinks. He said it'd help me to forget Chip." She kicked the toilet with her four-inch heel. "Well, screw you Todd! It didn't work." She yelled louder than she wanted to.

Grimacing, Hyde propped himself up on his elbows. He ran his hands over his face. "Where's this Todd guy now?"

Jackie pouted and crossed her arms. Anger flowed through her tiny body. "Hitting on some blonde bimbo. Her boobs are like HUGE." She gestured larger breast on herself and widened her eyes to emphasize. "You know what, Steven, she's probably your type."

With a sigh, he stood and went to the deep freeze. "Yea, guess I deserve that." He pulled a popsicle from its wrapper and tasted it. "Hey Jacks, I'm sorry. You know?"

Jackie let the words sink in. Staring at all of the 'call for a good time' numbers, she allowed a small smile to surface. "I know, Steven. I'm sorry too." She paused and touched her side, just below her ribs. "How is your side?"

He froze in place. Slowly, he moved his right hand and placed it just below the large welt Edna had given him the other day. He swallowed the tart lime of the popsicle and licked his lips. "You were there."

She touched the sore spot and inhaled, sharply. She averted her eyes and focused on drops of alcohol on her dress. "Your mom isn't very nice, huh?"

He walked over to his chair and sat down. "Nope." He crossed one leg over the other and pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "Neither is yours."

Jackie touched the pink Toole of her dress. Its rough texture repulsed her and she turned away. "I guess not." She smiled, suddenly pleased. "I didn't listen to her, you know. She kept telling me to get back with Chip but then I kept hearing your voice telling me not to."

Hyde grinned. He'd been unable to get the image of that dick touching her out of his head all week. "Way to go, doll." He took another bite of his popsicle and wore a teasing smirk. "You're coming along nicely."

Jackie laughed. Some girl started pounding on her stall door. Jackie rolled her eyes and responded. "Get your own toilet, bitch. God…"

Hyde laughed, genuinely impressed in the pixie. "As I was saying…"

Jackie considered standing. "Steven, if I go out there Todd is going to find me."

Hyde straightened in his chair. "Okay. Well, we gotta get you home somehow." He paused. "Are you sure you can't just squeeze by while he's tonguing the bimbo?"

Jackie brightened and sat up. "Aww, Steven you said bimbo! That's so considerate."

Hyde rolled his eyes. Women. "Jackie, come on. How'd you get to the club?"

She considered for longer than she should have had to. Then, her eyes brightened. "That's right! Rhonda drove me." Then, she frowned. "But she already left with some foreign guy. God, I'm stuck!"

"Got any money for a cab?" Hyde brainstormed.

Jackie pulled her purse towards her and searched through its contents. Lipstick, eye shadow, spare earrings, and her wallet with a single credit card and no cash. "Nothing." She paused. "I wonder if that nice guy at the bar would…"

"No! Don't even think about it." Hyde reprimanded, hastily, before feeling her teasing smile.

She licked her lips and examined her fingers. Her eyes warmed and her stomach did flip-flops again. "Steven, I wish you were here."

His gut flooded with a strange emotion. His chest puffed out and his breath came lighter. His accelerated heartbeat palpated through his arteries. With a kind smile, he examined her fingers through his own. "Yea? Well, I guess dancing with you would be no worse than bowling." He paused. "I don't hate bowling."

Everything in him burned to touch her. He pushed it down, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Hey, Jacks, is there anybody else you can call?" He paused. "Friends?"

Jackie considered. While she was popular, she lacked close friends. All of her cheerleader friends were probably spread eagle on their boyfriends beds by now. Still, there was one person.

"Esmerelda!" She considered her maid with a warm smile. While her parents had always been hit or miss, Esmerelda had been the person she could count on. "She's probably still at home. I can call her."

Relieved, Hyde laid back in his chair. "The maid, right? Yea, she's cool."

Jackie pushed herself up to a standing position and braced against the wall. "Yea, _and_ she sells the best pot."

Hydes jaw dropped. "Pot? Jackie, you said you didn't do drugs…"

Jackie balanced on her high heels as she pushed open the stall door and moved towards the pay phone. "Duh, Steven. I don't. Pot doesn't count."

Floored, Hyde covered his mouth with his hand. "Damn." He bore a sneaky smile. "You're badass."

Jackie picked up the receiver and began dialing the collect number. "Hey, do you want to smoke some together when I get back home?"

Chewing his lip, Hyde grinned. Blood rushed to his cheeks in anticipation. His entire body responded to Jackie's still tipsy movements.

"Now you're talking, doll." He looked around the basement, quietly, before moving towards the old storage room. The old army cot still lay next to the door. He'd stayed on it a few times, when Edna was too drunk to go home to.

It would be perfect for the trippiest circle he'd ever done.

"Steven?" Her small voice interrupted his thoughts. Sitting on the cot, he felt a fire grow within his chest.

"Yea, doll?"

Jackie clutched the phone to her ear and allowed Stevens soothing energy to calm her drunken gait. Her cheeks glowed red with silent bashfulness. "Don't hang up, okay?"

Her request sent chills through his body. Every protective instinct sparked. He'd never experienced such desire, such concern, for a chick before.

"Don't worry, doll. I'm not going anywhere."


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note: Hey, anyone know if Fluffycakes is a girl or boy? lol I couldn't find anything saying either so I went with girl.

Also, I apologize for the lack of updates. I moved last weekend and spent days arguing with my Internet provider. All is well again, though, and I can finally sit down and write. Three cheers for Wifi! Thanks for your patience AND reviews. It was really nice hearing from you all. :)

Warning: Swears are afoot.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. There is also mention of 'Gilligans Island', 'Little House on the Prairie', some conspiracy theories associated with each. These I ganked from the Internet. Yay, internet!

 **Beverly Hills, California-Later that night**

Jackie stared, intently, into the pink and blue glittering eyes of Fluffycakes.

Fluffycakes stared back with an annoyingly phony smile topped off with pink puckered lips.

"You know, her eyes follow me _everywhere_." Jackie shook the idea from her head. "It's freaking me out!"

Hyde reclined in the old cot and stared at the unfinished ceiling. One hand rested on his chest while the other supported his head against the cold metal bar.

Smiling, he coughed out his remaining smoke. "Man, Esmerelda gets the good stuff, huh?"

Jackie crawled to the ground and lay on her stomach. Suspicious, she faced the stuffed unicorn. "Fluffycakes, what is the meaning of life?" Pausing, she reconsidered her question. "No wait, I have a more important question. Should I, or should I not, cut my hair?"

Hyde squinted at the image of a white stuffed unicorn staring back. Snickering, he heightened his voice to unicorn level. Tongue between his teeth, he answered. "Yes Jackie, you should shave it _all_ off. The cheerleaders will be _so_ jealous."

Jackies eyes grew wide. Her mouth hung open. "Oh, I knew you were out to get me you whore!" In one quick motion, she picked up the stuffed animal and threw it across her bedroom.

Hyde laughed so hard that no sound came from his mouth. His body vibrated the fragile cot beneath him. "Jackie, noooooo!" He squeaked as high as he could muster between inhales. "I'm too colorful to die."

Jackie nodded, mulling. "It's true. Not many girls can pull off that much color." She grew a smile that quickly turned into a contagious giggle. She rolled to her side and finally landed flat on her back.

Hyde, feeling not only the effects of his dope but also hers, laughed heartily.

Jackie squinted. She observed the mess surrounding Steven. "Steven, where are you?"

Hyde halted his laughter and observed the messy storage closet. "My friends place. I crash here sometimes."

"Well…" Jackie sat up and pulled a doll to her chest. She finger combed the dolls hair as she spoke. "Your friend could use a maid."

Hyde shifted on the cot. He fought a sneeze as cobwebs landed on his nose. "Sure could. Hey, does Esmerelda have any _friends_ in the Midwest?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Obviously, you have no trouble getting _film_ , Steven." She hugged the doll tighter against her body. A photo caught her eye and she, quietly, observed it.

"I know a guy." He pictured Leo asking for directions to his own home earlier that day. "He's a trip, but he gets the job done." Hyde squinted to see a photo of a dark haired little girl petting a pink bird. "That you?"

Jackie smiled, handling the framed photo between her fingers. "I was five, I think. Daddy brought me to the zoo so that I could see the Flamingos. They were my favorite." She paused and examined her thumb. A small scar covered the tip of her finger. "I reached up to touch the prettiest one and it bit me."

Her sadness dragged him down. Sitting up on the cot, he waved some of the smoke away. "Karmas a bitch. That pink bastard is probably someones pillow by now."

Jackie released the photo and fell back onto her pillow. She smiled, feeling his concern. "It barely hurt." She traced the thin white line. "What hurt was that my dad didn't even care. He told Esmerelda to take care of me and went back to work."

Hyde, suddenly serious, leaned back against the wall. He sighed. Words did not come easy so he opted to remain a silent support.

Jackie stood and paced around the room. With a secret smile, she fingered her joint and put it to her ruby lips. "You're quiet tonight."

Hyde ran his fingers through his afro. He ignored the fresh pain from the bruise on the back of his head. "You know me. Man of few words"

She exhaled her smoke through a crack in her window. Her nightgown, a flannel barely falling to her knees, allowed the night breeze to chill her legs. She shivered and hugged herself. "I swear Steven, if it weren't for me we'd never talk at all."

He eyed the hem of her long sleeved flannel as it flapped against her bare thigh. Her skin, tan and soft, intoxicated him. He followed the lines of the flannel down her leg to her pink toes. They sank into pristine white carpeting and she wiggled them against the soft fibers.

Suddenly anxious to change the topic, Hyde sat upright. "So, any word from Prince horndog?"

Jackie rested against her windowsill and looked out into the night sky. "No. I guess he's moved onto sluttier opportunities." She touched the glass pane until her prints copied onto its reflective surface. "At least my parents aren't home. My mom is going to flip when she finds out I dumped the most promising boyfriend in Beverly Hills."

Hyde scoffed. "That dickhead?" He took a final drag from his joint before snuffing it out. "Man, that's like Ginger screwing Gilligan when all along the Professor was just a few huts away."

Jackie exhaled with a smile. "Hey, Gilligan is kind of cute." She paused and turned up her nose. "If you can get past his bad fashion sense. I mean, who wears bucket hats anymore?"

Hyde snorted. "Well, what about all that luggage the rich lady brought? It was a three-hour tour, man." He shook his head. "See this is what they don't tell ya. Mr. Howl hired the Skipper to perpetuate a drug run. He packed his 'to go' bag of dirty bills and figured he was home free. He even got the professor to cook his product and a movie star rack along for the ride." He paused and sighed. "Then Gilligan came along and fucked it all up."

Jackies head swam. She scrunched her nose in confusion. "So what about Mary Ann?"

Hyde smirked. "FBI, man. They don't grow chicks that hot in Kansas."

Jackie laughed and crossed her arms. "Steven, you're crazy."

"That's what they all say, doll, until the truth finally comes out." Hyde cackled just as the storage room door opened. Through the large crack, Foremans face appeared.

"Hyde? Man, what are you doing in my storage room?"

Jackie turned from the window and eyed the stranger. His wiry figure fit, easily, through the crack in the door. The mop of brown hair hung down into his tired looking eyes. He wore an outfit not unlike Gilligans. She placed her palm over her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"Oh, uh…" The drug suppressing his ability to lie, Hyde improvised. "Film?"

Foreman was quick to accept the already stabbed out joint. He pranced into the room and sat down next to Hyde. With an audible huff, he accepted Hyde's pre-offered light.

Silence followed, in which Jackies voice penetrated his reality.

"Steven, he's your Gilligan!" She giggled, obviously still high from the drugs. "And you're like the Skipper…but with _hair_!"

Hyde failed to suppress the smile as she fell to the floor in a fit of laughter. He laughed under his breath and muttered. "Shut your pie hole, lightweight."

"What?" Foreman looked up from his joint and eyed Hyde, suspiciously. "Hey, did you just call me a lightweight? And, what's a pie hole?"

With a wide smile, Hyde sat back against the wall. He slapped Foreman on the shoulder. "Nothing, little buddy. Just smoke up, huh?"

Jackie, now curled into a ball on the carpet, struggled for breath between laughs.

"Alrighty, then." Foreman, still apprehensive, went back to inhaling. "Look, man. I gotta tell you something. But you have to promise not to tell anyone else."

Hyde shifted, feigning concern, before leveling his gaze with Foremans. "Of course, Foreman. I'm here for you."

Jackie, intoxicated by Stevens mischief, folded her legs around each other and waited.

Foreman, warily trusting, eyed Hyde for a moment before turning forward. "So, I was out with Buddy tonight. We were just cruising and talking about Star Wars. Like, how does Vader pee? You know, the usual guy stuff."

Hyde wore his best zen as he studied his loser friend. "No, I don't know. But go on."

Foreman shifted so that he was facing Hyde. "Right, and so we're sitting in the car and, _completely_ unprovoked, he um…" Foreman took another puff of his smoky courage before whispering the end of the sentence. "…kissed me."

Jackie burst into another fit of giggles. She fell backwards into the arms of her stuffed animals. "So, _that's_ why Gilligan never hooked up with Mary Ann!"

Hydes lips rippled upwards until he could not longer hide his devilish grin. He broke into a snickering laugh. "You kissed a guy, man!"

"Oh, you should _so_ tell everyone!" Jackie interjected.

Hyde pointed at Foreman with a playful sneer. "And I'm telling _everyone_."

Foreman, eyes wide, jumped from the cot. He did a crazy dance and emoted a high-pitched yelp when the joint landed on top of his bare foot. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Hyde, his face a contortion of laughter, stood and moved towards the door. "Whoa there, Erica, lets take it slow."

Jackie scoffed and threw her hand to her mouth. She giggled and held Fluffycakes close.

Foreman, now dark red with embarrassment, held his hands up in surrender. "Man, I did not ask for it!" He paused and whimpered. "I'm not just some cheap date that can be bought with a limited edition light saber." When Hyde raised his eyebrows, Foreman continued. "I like boobs. Go boobs!" He threw his fist in the air in an animated gesture.

Hyde, finally calming down, strutted over to Foreman. He laid his hand on Foremans shoulder. "Calm down, Gilligan. It was one kiss. It doesn't mean anything."

Foreman breathed a heavy sigh. "You think so? Because I meant what I said. I love boobs. Donnas boobs to be exact." He paused while a soothing expression crossed his face. "Juicy boobies."

Jackie curled her nose up in disgust. She petted fluffycakes for comfort. "Eww! Is this what boys talk about behind our backs?"

"Damn right." Hyde answered them both. He turned his attention back to Foreman. "Listen, I say we go get wasted. Nothing erases the memory of a bad night better than a blackout."

Foreman brightened. "Yes, okay! A blackout is exactly what I need." He raced out of the storage room door. Just as Hyde was about to relax, he reappeared. "Wait, you're not gonna make me wear a dress, are you?"

Hyde smirked. "The dress, much like the stupid helmet, only goes to those who have earned it."

Forman nodded, clearly confusion. "Right." He disappeared from the doorway with his anxious footsteps sounded from the stairs.

Sitting on the cot, Hyde relaxed. "Still there, doll?"

Jackie smiled into her unicorn. "Of course. Steven, your friends are way more entertaining than 'Little House on the Prairie'."

With a smirk, Hyde stood. "Hey, have your heard the real truth behind Marys blindness? See, the government was testing secret weapons and…"

As he rattled on, Jackie looked to the window where she had been only moments before. There, in her elegant handwriting, were the words she had written in her inebriated state.

 **Jackie & Steven**


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews! Anything, even a couple of words, is encouraging and I love hearing your thoughts. So, for every story that I write I assign a theme song. I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but the theme song for "Focus" is "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol. I recommend watching the lyrics video on Youtube. It represents the Jackie and Hyde in this story perfectly.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. There is also mention of the song "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon.

Warnings: Just swears. Because Hyde has a serious potty mouth.

 **Beverly Hills, California -7:30 pm**

Jackie sat atop the pool ladder, legs swinging, and watched Rhonda flirt with the star quarterback. She tossed her dark hair around and jutted her hips out in a silent invitation.

"Could you be any more desperate?" Jackie muttered under her breath.

She wondered how she'd allowed them to drag her here. A pool party in an empty pool was hardly her style. Same went for a nasty old beer keg. She'd take Esmereldas stash and her record collection over a jock party any day.

Especially when her ex-boyfriend flirted with other girls only twenty feet away.

"Hold this." Before she knew it, a plastic cup had been placed in her hands. She looked up into the glazed eyes of Todd.

Jackie glared. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do I look like one of your slut slaves?"

Todd dropped to the ground and sat next to her-his legs dangling off the edge of the pool. "Not really. My slut slaves are usually bustier." He produced a second cup from behind him. "Keep it."

Jackie eyed her beer, skeptically. The smell alone turned her stomach. "Gross."

"Hey! Don't you _ever_ knock free beer in my presence again, woman." Todd pointed at her, emphatically.

Eyes rolling, Jackie set the beer down between them. "Whatever."

" _Not bad, grasshopper. A little more aloof next time."_

Jackie glowed at the appearance of Steven. Her entire body warmed and a serene smile crossed her lips. "Hey." She whispered while, absentmindedly, playing with the hem of her pheasant top.

"Hey what?" Todd piped in. He let out an enormous burp after chugging his whole glass in one go. He turned to her with a cocky grin. "Are you blushing, Jacqueline Burkhardt? I knew it, you want me."

Mouth open, she covered her cheeks. "Eww, I do not! I'm just warm." She pushed into a standing position. "I mean, who has a pool party without _a pool_ to cool off in?"

She spun to stomp off when a hand caught her elbow. Turning, she came face to face with Todd.

Hyde tensed against the December chill. He eyed his friends in the distance as they worked to cut the large evergreen, Foremans Christmas tree, down. Foreman cursed as Kelso nearly dropped his end of the trunk. Taking a few more steps into the snow lined roadside, he narrow-eyed the dickhead handling Jackie.

"Jacks, you okay?"

Jackie attempted to pull her arm from his grasp to no avail. Todd, smirking devilishly, stared down at her.

"Hey baby, relax. Don't fight it." He stumbled closer until their bodies were nearly touching. His hot breath smelled of stale beer. Leaning down to her ear, he whispered. "I hear the back bedroom is nice. Let's go check it out."

Hyde paced. His nostrils flared in anger. Protective stance on, he fought the urge to pummel the nearest tree.

"Get off me, Todd!" Jackie, her arm now aching in his grasp, pulled back with all of her strength. When he finally relented, she backed away. Angry tears threatened to expose her. "I swear if you come near me again I'm going to kick your ass."

In her effort to hold back tears, the threat came out in a pathetic squeak.

Hyde propped against a tree and balled and released his fists. He heard Foreman calling out to him in the background and ignored everything but the dickhead following his chick.

"Whoa! Everyone watch out for Bitchy Burkhardt." Todd raised his arms in presentation. His voice cracked in a poor imitation. "She's gonna kick my ass!"

Jackie, tears in full flow, wiped her face with the back of her hand and ran towards the street. She heard the footsteps behind her but didn't dare stop.

"Jacqueline, wait!" She reached the end of the driveway just in time to see Chip stumbling after her. Shaking her head, she continued walked. "Baby, relax. It's all in good fun. Just come back to the party."

Chips slurs fell into the background as she, silently, focused on the snow-covered forest of Wisconsin.

Hyde fumed. He kicked at a pile of snow until it showered the air around him.

"Jackie, talk to me."

When a hand touched his shoulder, he spun and knocked out the offender.

"Hyde, what the hell?" Fes' voice sounded from farther up the embankment. Focusing, briefly, on his own world, Hyde recognized Kelso balled up on the ground.

"Yea, man what the hell?" Kelso whined and held his hand to his eye. "Ouch, my eye!"

Hyde shook his fist, recognizing the post-left hook pain, and breathed. The snow blurred into dry streets and tepid weather. Jackies uneven breathes layered over the disgruntled argument of his friends.

"Hyde, man, what'd he do?" Foreman leaned down and helped Kelso off the ground. Fes took Kelsos other arm and held him upright.

His muscles relaxing, Hyde started towards the Vista Cruiser. "Whatever. Call it an IOU for the next stupid thing he does."

"Steven?" Jackie mumbled. She wrapped her arms around her body. Her heels clanked, loudly, against the asphalt. At least this party was only a few blocks from her neighborhood. "I'm sorry. I didn't want him to do that. I promise."

His anger swelled with her words. He felt her defeat coursing through his own system. He glanced back to the trio of morons. They followed about thirty feet behind. Looking back down to the snow, he whispered. "What the hell, Jackie? Why do you hang out with these assholes?"

Shrugging, she glimpsed the sparkling white crystals crunching under Stevens boots. "I don't have any other friends."

Hyde shook his head, frustrated. "Some friends. That guy called you a bitch, Jackie. Friends don't do that."

"Oh, but they punch each other out?" Jackie countered. She moved away from a passing car and pulled her sweater tighter.

Hyde moved faster, the Cruiser just in the distance. "Kelsos not much better. Chances are he deserved it." He crossed over a log and landed next to the large downed evergreen. Pondering her response, his anger built. "Look, next time you wanna go get fondled by those jackasses just leave me out of it, okay? I've got my own stuff to worry about."

Jackies eyes filled again. She slammed her heels against the ground and, with her house just over the next hill, quickened her pace. "Fine, Steven. Whatever. Go have fun with your dorky stupid foreign friends!"

Hyde felt her disappear and immediately regretted it. He closed his eyes and leaned against the Vista Cruiser. As his other three friends approached, he rubbed his heavy lids.

"Oh, is it Dr. Jekyll or is it Mr. Hyde?" Fes mocked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Wait, which one is the bad one again?"

Kelso came up behind him, still holding his right eye. "Hyde punched me! He's the bad one. Plus that Dr. Jekyll guy is a doctor. At least he gives you lollipops after he hurts you."

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Could you morons just shut the hell up?" Sighing, he ducked under the branches of the tree and opened the passenger side door. "I'll be in the Cruiser."

He sat, quietly, as the stupid ones threw snowballs at each other. With no Foreman in sight yet, he hunched down. "Jackie? Hey Jacks, can you hear me?" Pausing, he breathed. "Look, I know you're pissed just don't shut me out, okay?"

Loud knocking interrupted his attempts. Foreman stared at him through the window, his eyes wide in question.

Looking away, Hyde made one last attempt. "One hour. I'll be alone."

 _His eyes blurred to reveal bare feet being consumed by lapping waves. The salty scent of the ocean stirred his senses. The chilled air combined with the somber mood left goose bumps on his already cold skin. Focus shifted from her feet to the setting sun just before she took a step into deeper waters._

"Jackie?"

The connection cut out just as Foreman pried the door opened. He nudged Hyde over and took his previous seat.

"OK Hyde, what the hell is going on with you?" Foreman wrapped his arms around his chest and left a misty trail in the air with his words. "Are you on the dope? Because don't think I won't tell Red."

Hyde scoffed, smirking. "Yea, go ahead and do that Foreman. It's been too long since I've had a foot up my ass."

Foremans eyebrows rose up to his hairline. "Really?"

Hyde pulled his coat closed, shaking his head. "No! Why would Red care anyway? He's not my dad."

Foreman straightened and looked forward. "Huh. You're at my house so much that I almost forgot we're not related." He shrugged. "I could tell Edna."

Hyde laughed out loud. "See, then I'd just have to share my dope. If I was doing dope." He shot an angry glare to his left. " _Which I'm not_."

Foreman nodded and turned back towards him. "Fine. Is it this Jackie chick you're seeing?"

Hyde froze. The blood drained from his face. He snarled in Foremans direction, fists clenched. "How the _fuck_ do you know about Jackie?"

Foreman backed away until he melded with the door. "Uh, you told me man. The other night…when we were drinking." His voice rose to a high-pitched squeak. "I was wearing the dress. You were on your third six-pack. You said that she was badass and that you loved her."

Hyde lost all touch with the ground beneath him. His mouth went dry. His head swirled with confusion. The entire world seemed to shift around him. Dropping his face to his hands, he rubbed his eyes as hard as he could without forcing them from their sockets.

Repetitive pounding echoed. He chanced a glance away from the darkness of his hands to see Kelso and Fes hammering on the rear windows of the Cruiser. The click of the door left Forman on the snowy ground outside while the other two climbed into the car.

"Come on! I saw a cop down the road. We have to get out of here." Kelso crawled into the backseat and settled closely against Hyde. "I'm too pretty for prison."

Hyde, still unsteady, glared. "Remember when I punched you, Kelso?"

Kelso's broke into an obnoxious grin. "Duh Hyde, that was, like, six minutes ago."

Hyde smirked. "Well, that was for invading my personal space." He frogged the man on the arm. "And _that_ , was for that dumbass comment. Now get outta here!"

Kelso scooted over while Fes took shotgun. Foreman climbed into the drivers seat and started the car.

As John Lennons "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" poured from the radio, Hyde curled away from Kelso and towards the icy window.

Quietly, he whispered.

"If you can hear me, Jacks, I'm sorry I'm such a fucking idiot."


	8. Chapter 8

Authors Note: Not much to say. Just thanks for reading. :)

Warning: Nudity and language. Nothing too serious.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

 **Point Place, Wisconsin –9pm**

He viewed her in snapshots.

A bare leg here. Yellow clogs abandoned there.

And a white lacy bra resting on dry sand.

Each image was surreal surrounded by the dark skies of Point Place.

Without stars or even a moon, the water tower was hardly the inspiration it could be. The frigid air placed teasing nips on his skin. The metal radiated frost. Still, it remained the only place where he could guarantee solitude.

Leaning over the railing, a cigarette burning between his lips, Hyde spoke to the empty night.

"Jacks? You there?"

 _Her legs sank into the heavy resistance of condensed liquid as gravity anchored her into hard sand. Waves pushed her body back and forth with the insistence of the tide. Only her toes, curled nearly to the point of cramping, held her in place._

 _Her lungs aching, she kicked up and reached fresh air. Her skin, exposed and delicate, drank in the seawater as the waves eased past her lips and ended just below her nose._

 _The shoreline, so far away now, appeared as a thin line against the moving darkness of the water._

Hyde stared into the pit of trees below. It provided a decent backdrop for her show of temptation. He flicked his cigarette ashes into the abyss and watched the sparks drift all the way to the bottom.

"Dammit, Jackie." He blew the last smoke from his lungs. His body stood at full attention against the images of her naked form. Coupled with the feeling of water sliding over her bare skin, it was near enough to push him over the edge. "You make me fucking crazy, you know that?"

Jackies lips emerged from the water in the shape of a worried smile. "I know." She inhaled humid air and combed her fingers through the layers of wet. "It's not fair."

Hyde stepped back from the railing and crouched near the water tower. He reemerged with a can of green spray paint. "Nothing ever is, doll." He smirked, playfully, as she examined her fingers through the cover of the sea. The angle gave him a brief glimpse of her naked breasts. Squinting, he nodded his head. "Worth the view, though."

"What?" Jackie focused on the water, glimpsing her revelation, before gasping and looking towards the sky. "Steven!"

Hyde snickered. His breath came out in puffs of fog against the cold temperatures. "What? I can't help what you look at."

Jackie threw her hands over her breasts. Her embarrassment turned to amusement at the sound of his contagious laughter. Her smile grew, slowly, until her eyes shined against the city lights. "You…ugh! You're infuriating!" She let the tide take her legs as they floated to the top the water.

Hyde, grinning wildly, shook the spray can. "Man, you're sexy when you're pissed at me."

Jackie grinned into the darkness. "I so hate you!"

Hyde examined the blank canvas before him. Her amusement, along with a little vandalism, loosened the tension of the day. "Sure you do, doll." He felt her cheeks flush. The euphoric flutter in her chest quickened his heartbeat. His smile turned sincere. "How can I not look? You're beautiful."

Jackies body warmed despite the increasingly chilly temperature of the water. With a sad smile, she traced hearts into the surface of the ocean. "Steven, can I ask you something?"

Hyde wiped the frost from the metal surface and aimed the spray can. The hiss of the paint coupled peacefully with the crash of the waves. Sensing a shift in mood, he cleared his throat. "Yea. Go on."

Hesitant, Jackie took a long breath. "Do I ask for it?" She searched the blackened sky for courage. "With guys, I mean. First Chip and now Todd. Is it me? Do I do something to make them think…"

Hyde, now angry, covered his face with his free hand. "No. Jackie, it doesn't matter what you do. You don't deserve to be treated like crap."

"I like when boys pay attention to me, Steven, I do. I wear skirts and tight pants so they'll think I'm pretty." She bit her lip. "And I go _skinny dipping_. Maybe I deserve what I get." Suddenly freezing, she began swimming towards the shore.

Hyde balled his fist. He felt the urge to punch the stupid pot leaf he'd just painted. "Look, it doesn't matter if you prance around naked with 'fuck me' written all over you." His teeth clenched. "If you don't want them touching you then they sure as hell shouldn't be."

Frigid waves smacked her face as she paddled towards shore. The beach bobbed in the distance. She paused, reorienting, just as a strong wave attacked from behind. Salt burned her throat and she choked.

Hyde sighed and rubbed his arms to create warmth. He leaned, back against the rail, and focused between his creation and her. "Damn, that's cold. Get back to shore, Jacks."

Jackie paddled harder until she reached the beginnings of shore. Her feet touched sand and the water leveled off just above her chest. She brushed the moisture from her face and wrung her hair into the ocean. "Okay, close your eyes."

Hyde smirked. He crossed his arms over his chest. "No, you close _your_ eyes."

Jackie shivered. She covered her breasts with her arms and narrowed her eyes in frustration. "Steven, how am I supposed to get dressed with my eyes closed?"

"How am I supposed to vandalize this water tower with _my_ eyes closed, Jackie?" He countered. He cocked his head to the side and examined the large green leaf.

Jackie huffed. She threw her hands in the air and moved towards shore. "Fine! But if you take one peek I swear I'll make you come with me to my next doll expo."

Hyde smirked. He directed the can towards the far end of the leaf and closed off the remaining gap. "Dare you to try, Beula."

Jackie gasped. She covered her chest as she emerged into the sand. Her words trembled with her cold. "You…you…Steven!"

Hyde blew a raspberry. "I win" He paused and stepped back from his artwork. Pretending to study the giant pot leaf, he instead focused on the glimpses of smooth skin. She stepped, one set of painted toes at a time, into her pink cotton panties. Her fingers touched the silky smoothness of her thigh as she slid the garment up and over her knees. Next, she knelt to the ground and picked up her lacy white bra. Hyde licked his lips, involuntarily, as she slid the straps over her perfectly tan bare shoulders. She stuck her hips out, slightly, as she snapped it into place giving a clear image of her toned tummy.

He curled his fingers into his palm and closed his eyes, briefly, imagining how it would feel to run his hand over the delicate skin.

Black pants came next. She stepped into them, deliberately, and flexed her feet until they were free again. She leaned down to slide them on and her modest cleavage opened up to him.

Hyde inhaled, having forgotten to breath, and urged his heart to slow. He turned from the water tower and focused on the trees below. When he dared to tune back in, she was dressed and walking away from the ocean.

"Steven, are you there?" A knowing smile curved along her lips.

Hyde cleared his throat and turned back towards the water tower. "Yep. Just, uh, vandalizing." He looked to the newly redecorated water tower and furrowed his brows. "What do you think?" He cocked his head to the right.

Jackie squinted. She cocked her head to the left.

"Why is it giving me the finger?"


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note: This one is a bit shorter, but I felt like it ended where it needed to. Unlike my last story, I haven't been working from an outline so I hope this story isn't too disjointed. I'm just going with my gut and enjoying the ride with my two favorite characters.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

 **Point Place, Wisconsin- 6pm**

The bathroom mirror stared back at him. Months of untouched dust covered the shiny surface and sent a hazy reflection in return. His beard, unshaven for two weeks, covered the permanent scowl. Blue eyes, dead as ever, hid behind dark sunglasses. The visible parts of his face fell into a long drawn exhaustion.

The house felt, oddly, peaceful without Edna around. She'd rode off with some biker asshole about a week ago. She'd done it before.

He could only hope she came crawling back before next months rent came due.

"I can't decide if that beard makes you look more like Jerry Garcia or the homeless guy in LA who talks to his soda can…"

Hyde watched his lips curl into a smile. He fingered the rough bristles of his beard. "Jackie, I wouldn't doubt it if Jerry Garcia talks to all kinds of inanimate objects." He caught his unzenlike reflection and looked away. "I can only hope to aspire to such greatness."

Jackie curled into the oversized chair and looked out into the rolling white hills. The chill wafted in from the window and she wrapped her hands inside the arms of her sweater. "Steven, how come you never let me see your face?" She shrugged. "If I can like you with that scruffy beard than nothing else could change my mind."

He trained his eyes on the floor as he walked towards the kitchen. "Whatever. I am who I am, beard and all." He stopped in front of the refrigerator and opened it.

Ketchup or a few sips of orange juice. Tough choice.

"So, who you are is Popeye?" Jackie giggled at her own joke. Curled in her own warmth, she watched as skiers the size of ants descended the mountain.

Hyde rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a shadow of amusement. "Laugh all you want, Midget. At least I can reach the top of my locker." He opened the orange juice and took a quick whiff.

Jackie scrunched her nose and scoffed. "Eew! Do NOT drink that." She paused. "And those lockers were made for lumberjacks, Steven. They know that the pretty girls, like me, don't need to reach their books because we have our looks to fall back on."

"Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but those girls don't get by on their cheerleader smiles." He smirked when he found a stray box of crackers in the bottom cabinet. "Better start putting out if that's your plan."

Jackie huffed. Frustrated, she balled her hands into fists. "Steven, just because you prefer dirty sluts doesn't mean there aren't men out there who like a graceful woman. And, of all those men, at least a few of them are bound to be rich."

Hyde, suddenly bothered by her shallowness, glared. "Fine, Jackie. Then why don't you just go meet some rich guy at your ski cabin." He squirted ketchup onto one of the crackers and placed another over it. "I'll be here in _fucking Wisconsin_ being poor and making ketchup sandwiches!"

Jackie, angry tears rimming her eyes, threw her hands in the air. "Fine! Maybe I will."

"Fine!" Hyde roughly grabbed his plate and headed into the disheveled living room.

He reached for the TV and turned the switch to 'On'. When nothing happened, he turned it a few more times.

When was the last time they'd paid the electric bill? Crap.

Anger took over. He swung his leg back and launched his boot into the TV, knocking it to the ground. "Fuck you, Edna!"

Hands to his eyes, he sank back into the springy old sofa. His heart beat loudly in his ears. Frustration turned to sadness as he fought back the resentful tears of an abandoned child.

Silence surrounded him. Only his heavy breathing broke through.

Then, a single word.

"Steven?"

She always sounded smaller when sad.

He refused to uncover his eyes. Instead, he focused on the endless hills of snow and the misplaced chill enveloping his body.

"Steven, I'm sorry." Her voice barely a whisper, she choked the words through quiet tears. He watched her hands tracing words onto fogged windows.

"Jackie, go." He managed two words between his uneven breaths. Panic overwhelmed him. She couldn't see him this way. Whatever it took.

Just then, her eyes focused on the window to reveal the message she'd written between the condensation.

 **Jackie Loves Steven**

"No, Steven. If you want me to go then you'll have to shut me out."

Tears poured down her cheeks as she felt the overwhelming fear coming off of him. She'd known his home life was bad but he'd never given in to his emotions before- at least not when she was present.

Hyde allowed his eyes to focus on the three words written clearly on the windows.

 **Jackie Loves Steven**

Swallowing the sudden swell of emotion, he peeled his hands from his face. She couldn't love him, not really. They'd never touched-never even been in the same room. Still, her words lit a wick of hope within him.

He'd never loved anybody, not really, but he didn't think that he _couldn't_ love her.

Hell, she was no worse than bowling.

"Jacks, I'm fucked." He swiped moisture from his face with the back of his hand. "She's not coming back, man."

Jackie settled back into the chair. Dabbing at her face with the wool of her sweater, she nodded. "Okay. I have money. I can send it to you."

Hyde shook his head. "No!" Standing, he paced, the room. "I mean, look I don't do charity okay?"

Jackie stood, following suit, and walked back towards the windows. "It's not charity, Steven. Everyone needs help sometimes." She watched the wind blow snow around the mountain. "You helped me. Now, I can help you."

Hyde stopped at his living room window. He noted his dilapidated street. Boarded up houses, unkempt yards, and abandoned cars adorned his world. In comparison to the breathtaking mountains, it sickened him. "You don't love me, Jackie." The words came out in a slew of anger.

Jackie, tearful again, crossed her arms. "Oh, I don't?" She charged towards the window. "Well, I guess I don't because _you_ said so." She sighed and paced the length of the windows. "God Steven, I don't know why this whole thing happened between us but what I do know is that it happened right when I needed someone. Someone who wasn't Chip or my parents or my bitchy friends." Stopping by the window, she waited. "You don't have to love me, Steven, but I'd like to think that you needed me too."

Speechless, Hyde crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He thought about Foreman, Kelso, Donna, and Fes. They were his friends, sure, but they didn't get him. They hardly knew anything about his home life and didn't bother to ask. They were too consumed with their own adolescent problems to give a crap.

His problems were anything but adolescent.

Oddly enough, so were Jackies.

" _Jacqueline, honey, we have a surprise for you!"_

Hyde and Jackie both turned at once. There, in the doorway, stood a familiar face.

Hyde snarled. Jackie gasped and wiped, frantically, at her face.

Chip stood tall wearing a blue and white ski suit. He offered up a bouquet of red roses.

"Hey baby, miss me?"


	10. Chapter 10

Authors Note: So, I originally intended for this chapter to be more dramatic. When I started writing, though, I realized that Jackie needed a lighthearted moment before the heavy stuff began (Hint Hint-the next chapter will be heavy lol). Also, I know the 'Kelso escaping out the bathroom window' episode isn't till Season Six, but I thought it fit well here and it ties into a scene from 'In Your Eyes' as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

 **Mammoth Lakes, California- 7pm**

Jackie straightened in her seat. Her dress, too short and bright for winter, stuck out against the darker apparel of the other guests in the lodge. Her fingers traced the laced edge of the garment, midway up her thigh, as her eyes took in its floral pattern.

It'd been her mothers choice.

 _Better to show more skin, dear. It's your best feature._

Stuck in a cabin on top of a mountain, she could do little in the way of escaping.

Even if all she could think about was Steven.

"Jacqueline, dear, please pay attention." Her father, a proper man in a suit and grey tie, eyed her.

Jackie stirred and dropped her hands from her lap. "Yes, Daddy." She held her head high and smiled as instructed.

"Good. Daydreaming is for children, sweetheart." The small man folded a napkin, neatly, in his lap. "I was just telling Chip about the great opportunities in finance." He paused and turned to the eager boy to her left. "Now, Chip, have you decided on a college yet?"

Chip loosened his tie and grinned. "Well, sir, I'm currently debating between Harvard and Yale. It's a tough choice. My father was a devoted Pilgrim and my mother a dedicated Bulldog."

Pam Burkhardt faked a bubbly laugh. She batted her eyelashes. Jackie scrunched her nose and twisted in her seat. "Oh Chip, how did that ever work out for them?"

"Well Mrs. Burkhardt, I guess opposites sometimes do attract." Chip reached over and placed a hand on Jackies knee. She cringed at his touch. "Just like Jacqueline and I. She's a feisty one but I managed to tame her."

His fingers climbed higher and higher on her thigh. They fingered the soft lace of her dress and crept beneath it towards her tightly clamped inner leg muscles. Swallowing the resulting bile, Jackie shot upwards from her seat. Three sets of eyes stared at her, waiting.

"Um, I have to use the ladies room." Eyes wide, she balled her fists and marched away from the table. Conversations drifted in and out as she chose to focus only on the little white stick figure in a dress.

Her vision blurred as she walked, showing the wooden beams of an old ceiling.

Blinking it away, she marched directly into the ladies room and locked herself in a stall. Planting herself on a toilet, she covered her eyes.

Then, he beckoned. _"Jackie?"_

 _The rafters of the ceiling, cleaner than the last time she'd seen them, surrounded him. Beneath, a flimsy bed clanked loudly with minor movement. Contentment had replaced the crippling fear of their last conversation. The pungent smell of pot hung, lazily, in the air all around. The entire room smelled of old sneakers and mold and yet it had all the comforts of home._

"Steven, where are you?" She whispered into her palms.

Hyde stretched out on the cot and breathed in the secondhand smoke. He adjusted his eyes to see her, but found only darkness in return. "Foremans place. Where are you? I can't see anything."

With a sigh, she lifted her fingers to reveal the back of a wooden stall door. "I'm hiding."

Sensing her trepidation, Hyde tensed. He pushed into a sitting position and clenched his jaw. "Let me guess. Prince Dickhead?"

Jackie, unwillingly, pouted. "This is a nightmare, Steven." She examined the messy stacks of records, posters, and bags of clothing around him. "Wait, isn't that your Zeppelin poster?"

Hyde focused on the cover shot of Zeppelin II plastered across the room. He nodded. "Yep. Turns out I'm gonna stay with Foreman for awhile. His parents are cool with it."

Jackie brightened. She pointed her toes against the floor leaned her elbows atop her knees to support her face. "Oh, Steven! That's such a relief. I was so worried about you."

Hyde, suddenly uncomfortable, cleared his throat. "Yea, whatever. So, what'd Chip do anyway?"

Blood rose to Jackies cheeks. Her excitement leaving, she covered her face again. "Ugh, I feel like Alice when she got stuck at the tea party with the creepy hat guy." She paused, removing her hands and eyeballing the patterns in the wooden door. "And there aren't even drugs at this party, Steven!"

Hyde snorted. "Yea, that was some potent tea, man." He sensed her discomfort and paced, hands awkwardly in his pockets. "Well, can you bail?"

Jackie scoffed. "Yea, sure. Like they wouldn't notice if I just didn't come back from the bathroom." She considered the idea again, smiling at the thought, before returning to the safety of her hands. "No! No, my mother would ruin her botox…and _then_ ground me for life."

Hyde leaned against his 'Big Brother & The Holding Company' poster, grinning. "So? It's not like she's ever home anyway." He twisted his beard between his fingers and snickered. "Come on, Jackie, _be bad_."

Jackie, smiling from ear to ear, pondered the thought. "Steven, how would I even get past them? Their table is right outside of the bathroom."

"Hmm." Hyde crossed his arms. "Is there a window?"

Jackie gasped. "Oh no, Steven. You want me to climb out of the window in _this_ dress?" She looked down and showed him her skimpy attire.

Steven whistled. The colorful dress hung only halfway down her thighs, exposing her perfectly tan figure. "Nice legs, Jacks." He smirked. "Yea, I vote climb."

Jackie fell back against the wall and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "Perverts! All of you."

Hyde shook his head, still chuckling. "Oh, come on." Her anger still strong, he continued. "OK, look. Let me put this in terms that you can understand. I, your friend Steven, am an amateur pervert. Flag football at best. Guys like Chip, well, they're on the varsity team." He paused. "Trust me, you don't want them tackling you."

Jackie, still frustrated, stamped her feet and stood. "Ugh! Fine. I guess that makes sense." She pulled the stall door open and stopped just before reaching the window. "Wait, it's freezing outside! Frostbite scars, Steven."

Just as he was about to respond, the bathroom door opened to reveal an older heavyset woman. Her clacking heels echoed against the walls of the bathroom as she stomped towards the open stalls.

Jackie, her eyes lighting in revelation, smiled and stepped in front of the woman. "Good evening, madam. May I take your sweater?" She nodded towards the heavy wool sweater covering the womans torso and reaching down to her knees.

Hyde broke into a large grin. Pride shone in his eyes.

"Oh, why yes dear. What a nice service." She shrugged the garment away and placed it in Jackies awaiting arms just before disappearing into a stall. The brunette could barely contain her excitement. She chewed her lip in anticipation.

Hyde, braced against his Zeppelin poster, nodded. "Very nice, grasshopper. Now, get climbing."

Jackie slipped the sweater over already chilled shoulders. Too large for her, it fell to her ankles. She tied it closed and moved towards the window. She pushed up on the wooden sill and huffed when it barely budged from its place.

"It's okay, Jacks, you got this." Hyde paced, his thumb to his lips. He examined the window. "Check the top. There might be a second lock."

She ran her hands over the wooden panel until she found a sliding lever. Fingering the metal clasp, she pushed against heavy resistance until it snapped out of place with a loud clack. Pride coursed through her as she jumped up and down and shrieked. "I got it! I did it!"

Hyde, full of pride, grinned foolishly. "Of course you did, doll. You're _my_ chick."

" _Did what, dear?"_

The gravely words of the older woman echoed from the nearby stall.

Jackies eyes widened. "Um, uh, blush! I finally found the perfect level of coverage." Pleased, Jackie brightened and began crawling through the window. Her head and shoulders passed through the small opening, exposing her to the chill of the outdoors. Rotating to her back, she shimmied her hips through inch by inch. Once her butt was free, she fell the three feet to the frosty grass. "Ouch!"

Hyde frowned at the sudden jolt of pain in his rear. "Crap, that hurts. You okay?"

Jackie crawled to her knees and pulled the sweater closed. "I think so. I…"

" _Jacqueline?"_

The shrill ring of her mothers voice echoed from behind the open window. Jackie sank back into the grass and crawled the twenty feet to the end of the building. She turned the corner and hid behind the adjoining wall. "Steven." She whispered his name in reflex to her sudden fear.

Hyde sat on his cot, concerned eyes far away as he immersed himself in her world. "You're home free, doll. Just breathe."

" _Jacqueline? Chip is waiting for you, dear."_

The howl of the wind drowned out Pamelas voice. Once it completely disappeared, Jackie, slowly, rose to a stand against the structure of the building. A small smile escaped as she took in the vast mountain range before her. White hills stretched as far as she could see. Since most of the skiers were inside the lodge, she had free reign of the breathtaking land. "It's beautiful."

Hyde smiled and nodded. "Sure is." He leaned back against the wall and reached for his stubbed out joint. "So, what are you gonna do with your new found freedom?"

Jackie, feeling lighter than she had in years, brightened.

"I'm going to build a snow unicorn."


	11. Chapter 11

Authors Note: I apologize for the delay in updates. Been having a bit of writers block with this story. Also, I'm not too thrilled with this chapter. I had a hard time trying to tie in "The Pill" with Jackie being a virgin and all. :p I reworked this chapter a few times and I'm still not satisfied. Anyway, I promise the next one will be better. I anticipate maybe five more chapters to this story. Good things to come, so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show" or "In Your Eyes".

 **Point Place Wisconsin-A week Later**

"Look, Hyde. All I'm saying is that you're acting really _freaking_ weird. Don't even try to lie to me, either." Foreman paused and placed his hand on his hips. "I have the force."

Hyde lifted a box high into the air before planting it on the other side of the garage. With a frustrated sigh, he turned to his scrawny friend.

"Foreman, relax. Red asked me to clean the garage, so I am. It's nothing to wet your panties over." Hyde crouched on the ground to examine the next box of junk. He, aimlessly, picked through greasy tools and old car parts.

Foreman shifted, nervously. "Panties? Hyde I may not be Joe Boxer but I definitely don't wear panties, okay?"

Hyde snickered, eyeing the hidden Playboy at the bottom of the box. "Oh, I know. _You_ prefer being nude." He dug through the mess to pick up the wrinkled magazine. "September 1968. Nice, Red."

Foreman, now curious, crouched over Hyde and stared at the blonde on the cover. "No way! Red has porn?" Suddenly spastic, Foreman covered his mouth with his hand and paced the garage. "Oh, this could be very helpful."

Hyde turned, serious. "Whatever you're plotting, _Samantha_ , leave me out of it." He paused and placed the magazine back in the box. He shooed the smaller man away with his fingers. "Now pop on out of here, would ya? I got work to do."

"See! This is what I'm saying!" Foreman squealed just as Donna walked up the driveway.

" _What_ are you saying?" She cozied up to Foreman and grinned.

Foreman took Donnas hands and, in his most serious tone, responded. "Hyde found a Playboy in my dads stuff…and he put it _back_."

Donna, eyes wide, gasped. She clung to Foreman for balance. "What?! But…but…the burn potential alone…"

"Exactly!" Foreman exclaimed. He turned towards Hyde and pointed directly at him. "Unhand my friend, you robot!"

"Hey, where's the robot? I wanna see!" Kelso ran up the driveway, his grin wide and stupid.

Blood, fueled by anger, pooled to Hydes face. He stood to face his accusers. Hands in his pockets, he glared. "You know, I've had just about enough of your crap, Foreman." He took a step towards the smaller man. "Red asked me to do some chores. _Your_ chores. Which, by the way, are…"

" _Steven? Hello? Please be there!"_

"Jackie?"

Her voice penetrated his thoughts. A voice he hadn't heard since that night he'd helped her escape. He froze in place, eyes squinting, as his moronic friends looked on, confused.

"Wait, isn't Jackie his…" Donna whispered to Foreman.

"New chick!" Kelso answered for him. He padded towards Hyde, confidently, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, is she hot? Cause if you wanna double up we can make that happen, buddy."

" _Steven! Please, I need you."_

Hyde shrugged the hand off of his shoulder and stood tall. "Hell with it. I'm outta here."

He stomped towards the house, into the kitchen, and straight into the basement where he locked himself in his room. Bracing against the closed door, he let her in.

"Jackie, what's going on? Where the hell have you been?" He squinted to see her in entirety. She stood tall against a full- length mirror, hands wringing nervously, as her pink dress hugged her small form. Her dark hair, pinned up in a puddle of loose curls, held together with a single white flower.

Hyde caught his breath. "Wow. You're beautiful."

Jackie smiled and covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, Steven." Her smile, though, melted into quiet sobs as she studied herself in the mirror. "Oh, Steven, what am I going to do?"

Hydes pulse quickened. He pushed off from the door and paced the room. "Do about what? Jackie, tell me what's going on." Slow music hung over their conversation. "Where are you?"

Jackie turned from the mirror and leaned against the bathroom sink. Her hands shook as she considered the past few days. "My parents, they were so angry with me after I bailed on dinner. They refused to leave me alone….unless I was with Chip. They even paid Esmerelda to stay with me." She paused to breath. "The Valentines dance is tonight. I'm here with him."

Hyde shook his head and wore a bitter grin. "Of course you are." He covered his eyes with his hands and sat down on his cot. "You know what, Jackie, why don't you just go have a good time with…"

"I wish that you were my date tonight instead of Chip." The words came out in a panic. She clutched the countertop so tightly that her nails drove dents into its hard surface. Her heart raced. Her chest heaved up and down with rapid breath.

His mouth now dry, Hyde licked his lips. He moved his hands up to his forehead and rubbed the thick skin. With a sigh, he fell backwards against the wall. "Yea, me too."

Jackie slowly nodded, understanding that those three words meant so much more than they fronted. "So, no windows in this bathroom."

Hyde smiled at the memory. "No, but I bet there's a side door."

Jackie smiled, genuinely, for the first time in days. She fingered the flower in her hair and looked down at her perfectly matched shoes.

"So, what _are_ you doing for Valentines Day?" She traced patterns on the floor with her pink heels.

Hyde stiffened. "You mean the governments plan to get consumers to spend money on pointless junk?" He moved to stand. "Jackie, Valentines Day is a sham. I thought I taught you better."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "No, Steven. Valentines Day is a day to express your love to the prettiest girl in the room. You know, the one who deserves to be showered with candy and presents and flowers." She paused. "Besides, how can you possibly hate a holiday that is all about the color pink?"

Hyde flipped, aimlessly, through his record collection. "There ya go. See, every time I remember how much I like you, you throw in a comment about the color pink, Donny Osmond, or Roller Disco and I start to question our whole relationship."

His smirk and eyebrow raise accompanied his humor. Jackie shrugged, feigning zen. "Whatever."

Hyde grinned. "You've been practicing, grasshopper. Very nice."

The bathroom door swung open to reveal Rhonda. She half ran, her purple pumps pounding, towards Jackie. She grasped the brunettes arm and rambled on.

"Jackie, Chip has been looking everywhere for you!" She paused to catch her breath. "Brooke is talking to him and she's already _giggling_. I don't know how much longer he can hold out against her charms."

Jackie yanked her arm away. She turned back to the mirror and adjusted her hair.

"I don't care, Rhonda. Let the skank have him."

Rhonda braced against the counter, shock written all over her pretty pastel lips. "But Jackie, he's Chip. Who else could you possibly be seen with at our high school?"

Hyde, disgusted by the petty banter, focused on the quiet hum of Zeppelin III. The image of Jackies big mismatched eyes next to the somber lyrics of 'Tangerine' was enough to tolerate the drabble.

That and the bag of candy he found hidden behind the drywall.

" _Alright_ , Fes." He smirked.

Jackie pulled away from the mirror, much to Hydes dislike, and turned on Rhonda. "Well, you can tell Chip that I'm over him. Also, that I hope he gets crabs." She paused, Hydes chuckling sounding in her head, and bolted upright. "In fact, lets go. I'll tell him myself."

Hyde, suddenly interested again, sat back and placed his hands behind his head. "This should be good." He muttered. He stared, suspiciously, at the blue conversation heart before popping it into his mouth.

Shrugging, Rhonda led Jackie out of the bathroom and into the crowded gymnasium. They waded through hoards of posh teenagers until they reached the snack table. There, the crowed opened to reveal Chip fingering the curly hair of a perky blonde bimbo.

"Chip!" Jackies voice sounded over the disco music. The blonde shrank into the background as Chip stepped forward. Tall and muscled beneath his pressed suit, he towered over the shorter brunette. Still, with Steven standing behind her, she stood her ground. "Chip, we need to talk."

"Hey baby." His hand shot out and he caught her waist. She, quickly, pulled away from his grasp.

"Don't touch me, you manwhore." She stretched as high as she possibly could, her emotions adding to her weight. "We're through. For good this time." Noticing the blonde standing to her right, Jackie grasped her hips. "Oh, and Brooke, feel free to _giggle_ with Chip whenever you want to. But you might want to get tested afterwards." She leaned forward and whispered into the skanks ear. "Crabs!"

Hyde laughed so hard he could barely sit upright. He slapped his knee in uncontrolled amusement.

Chips face darkened. Brooke, clearly embarrassed, shrank away from the conversation. Rhonda stood behind Jackie, arms crossed nervously around her rather large chest.

The awkwardness palpable, Jackie stepped away only to run straight into a familiar redhead. Pulling back, she immediately recognized the girl.

"And _you_ …" Jackie began but tumbled aside as the girl trampled through the group and perched directly in front of Chip.

"Chip, we need to talk." The redhead demanded.

"I'm glad I have snacks for this." Hyde mused, causing Jackie to giggle into her palm. He chose a yellow 'kiss me' heart and passed it between his lips.

Chip took the girls hand and moved away from the group. He spoke in a tense whisper. "What? Can't you see I'm with my girlfriend, here?"

Jackie and Hyde both tensed. "Nope, not me. I'm not his girlfriend." Jackie clarified adamantly.

The redhead thrust her hands to her hips and stuck her nose into the air. "Fine. I just thought that you should know that I'm pregnant, Chip, and it's yours."

Jackies eyes widened. Hyde nearly choked on his 'kiss me' heart.

Chip hardened. His eyes flared with anger. He grasped the redheads arm and pulled her closer. "That's impossible, you lying whore."

Everyone around them gasped. Hyde balled his fists and clenched his teeth. "Yea, that's it…"

He barely got the words out before Jackie lunged forward and planted a punch straight to Chips right cheek. The surprise altered him more than the attack and, when he came back, he was angry.

He eyed Jackie, his gaze made of fire and acid. Finally, stepping ahead until their noses nearly touched, he spit the three words that sent Hyde into a tailspin. "You crazy bitch."

Hyde bounded from his bed and clenched his fists. He squinted as the image of Chips threatening glare blurred into a crowd of onlookers, discarded streamers, walls pink with hearts, and finally the parking lot. Chills ran through his body as Jackie hugged herself.

"Jackie?"

Jackie crouched on the ground, breathless. The chill of the evening cut through her exposed flesh.

Once again, she'd forgotten her jacket.

A slow rumble escaped her throat. It came in slow waves until, finally, she recognized the sensation.

Laughter.

Hyde relaxed, realizing her amusement. "Jackie, you punched him." He shook his hand, still reeling from her pain.

"I know." She managed between giggling gasps. "I felt you wanting to hurt him and I just…" She smiled into the air. "I just did."

Hyde, exhausted from her excitement, sat down. He picked up the abandoned bag of hearts and fished for the remaining two. "Bastard deserved it. Did you hear what he called you?"

"That felt amazing!" Jackie stood and fluffed her dress. Eyeing Chips limo, waiting in the distance, she moved. "I get why you like beating people up now, Steven."

Hyde nodded. He debated between the final two hearts. "Yea, something like that."

"Hey!" Her eyes grew wide in excitement. "I'm gonna steal Chips limo and go get baked."

Hyde shook his head, pride etching his features. "Jackie, that is so badass."

Jackies smile faded. She stopped as her fingers touched smooth surface of the limo. "Steven, that could've been me. If I hadn't held out, I could have been the poor pregnant girl-except I'd have good hair."

Hyde wiped his forehead with his hands and stared into the box of candy. "Yea, then you'd be Edna." He paused. "At least Bud stuck around for a few years. I don't see Chip lasting long."

She swallowed. His grief deescalated her previous exhilaration.

"Well, if Bud were here I would punch him too." She smile. "Just for you."

Hyde exhaled. He pulled a single pink heart from the box and focused on it.

 _Be Mine._

"Oh, Steven!" Her hands flew to her mouth. "Did you buy conversation hearts just for me?"

Hydes eyebrows knitted in stubborn resolve. "Nope, stole 'em from Fes." Sensing her fading smile, though, he shrugged.

"And happy government conspiracy day, doll."


	12. Chapter 12

Authors Note: Yay! I'm finally back on the wagon…or off? Don't know. Anyway, I lost my inspiration for a brief moment but it has returned. Zennies for life!

Warning: Talk of sex and sex related paraphernalia. Also, drugs.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show', "In Your Eyes", "The Six Million Dollar Man", or "The Newlywed Game". Also, I tweaked a few examples of a quiz from the Cosmo website. They have plenty of them there if you're interested in finding out your own results. lol

 **Point Place, Wisconsin -11pm**

"All I'm saying, is that they could have faked the moon landing, man. They have the technology." He paused and flipped past another boring game show. "I mean, have you _seen_ 'The Six Million Dollar Man'?"

Jackie yawned as she flipped through the pages of the latest Cosmo. "That show is so fake." She paused. "I mean, if you can afford to be bionic than you can definitely afford to make better fashion choices." Stopping on a selected page, she lit up. "Oh my god, Steven. I found the perfect quiz for you!"

Sighing, Hyde shook his head. He settled on particularly boring episode of the Newly Wed Game. "Nope, no such thing."

Jackie jumped from her previous position, lying flat on her stomach, and sat cross-legged on her bed. "Oh come on, Steven. You promised to entertain me until my parents let me out of the house. Besides, it will be fun." She cleared her throat and sat up straight. "OK, first question. You and your partner are getting hot and heavy. What do you do next?"

Hyde shot up to a full sitting position. "Cosmo?" He knitted his brows, pondering. "No, nuh uh. I can't be involved in anything Cosmo related. I have a reputation to maintain."

Jackie scoffed. "Steven, where do you think the sluts you slept with get their information?" She paused and ran her fingers over the large pink font. "Cosmo is every girls bible."

Hyde fingered his glasses and watched as yet another happy couple scribbled the same answer to 'What is her favorite song?' Anything was better than this crap.

"Fine." He smirked. "But you have to answer too."

Jackie scrunched her face in confusion. "Steven, I'm a virgin."

Hyde rubbed his hands together. "Yea, so? Doesn't mean you can't answer hypothetically."

Jackie rolled her eyes, blood rushing to her cheeks. "Whatever. Lets get started." She trained her eyes to the curly cue letters and read aloud. "You and your partner are at a dinner party. Things are getting hot and heavy. What do you do next?" She traced the letters as she read. "A: Sneak into the bathroom for a quickie. B: Pull them into a corner and make out. C: Promise some fun when you get home."

Hyde shrugged. "That's easy. A."

Doris frowned at Richards inadequate response. Hyde smirked.

Jackie shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "Steven, that's icky!"

"And that, Jackie, is exactly why we can't play this game." Hydes irritation level rose as Doris glared at her loving husband. "You're already pissed at me and it's only the first question."

Jackie sighed, defeated. "Fine." She considered the options. "I guess I'd go with B."

Hyde smiled, suddenly interested again. "B? I thought getting it on in public was _icky_." He mocked her shrill tone.

Jackie hugged her chest and sat back in bed. "It _is_! B is just making out." A small smile emerged on her undressed lips. "Besides, kissing is…romantic."

Unwilling to argue, Hyde reclined on the sofa. Richard and Doris were smiling again. "Whatever. Next question."

Jackie held the magazine up and read aloud. "Your partner surprises you with an addition to your bedroom activities. That addition is A: Sexy lingerie, B: Sex toys, C: A _third person_."

Hyde laughed as she awkwardly choked out the last words. "Didn't hear you, doll. Can you repeat the last one?"

"You heard me!" She squeaked back, blood rushing to her cheeks. "And you're a pig, Steven Hyde."

Hyde gasped, gesturing into the air. "What? I didn't even answer the question."

Richard was back in the doghouse. What a bunch of crap.

"You did too! _Can you repeat the last one?_ " She mimicked, rolling her eyes. Frustrated, she stood and moved to her window. "Ugh, why is it that one girl is never enough?"

Serious, Hyde rose to a seated position and faced the window. He knitted his eyebrows as his irritation returned. "Well if you'd let me answer the damn question, Jackie, I'd tell you…"

"Oh my god…" Jackies hand flew to her mouth. Blue and red lights ran circles around her. "Steven, why are the police at your house?"

Hyde, briefly forgetting his anger, moved towards the front door. He looked through the window to see the multiple squad cars parked on the curb. "Uh, good question doll."

Jackie, worry lining her features, gasped. "Steven, did you steal another street sign?"

"No!" He snapped. "There's only one High St, Jackie."

Three consecutive thuds sounded from outside of his door. Jackie hugged herself and moved, slowly, towards her own bedroom door. "Steven?" She muttered, weakly.

With a deep breath, he stood tall and gripped the doorknob. As he pulled it open, he noted two perfectly mustached police officers holding a paper bag.

On the outside of the bag etched two simple words in blue marker.

Eric Foreman.

"Excuse me, we're looking for the owner of this bag." The officer sniffed. "This is the residence of Eric Foreman, correct?"

The hurried stomping of Reds heavy feet sounded behind him.

"What is going on here?" Red, clad in only a blue bathrobe, sidled up next to Hyde. Kitty stood not far behind him, her floral bathrobe clung tightly to her form. "That dumbass is my son. What did he do now?"

The officers reached into the bag and pulled out a baggy full of _film_.

Jackie gasped. Fearful, she shrank into the corner of her room.

"Dad?" Foreman stopped a few feet behind them. Holding only a sheet around him for protection, he jumped at the sight of the paper bag. "Oh, I see you've found my lunch." He reached out and took the bag. "How kind of you to bring it by, officer."

Red and Hyde turned at once, eyeing Foreman. Hyde stepped forward and leaned towards his nearly naked friend. "Someone put _film_ in your bag, moron."

"Is this what I think it is?" Red, his cheeks filling with bloody rage, marched towards his son. "What did I say would happen to the dumbass who brings that stuff into my house?" He took another step forward, his fists clenching. "What did I say, _dumbass_?"

"Uh…" Foreman cowered. "That you'd love him unconditionally?"

Hyde intercepted just as Red reached Foreman. "Out! You're out of my house."

"Oh Red, please don't." Mrs. Foreman gripped Reds arm. "He's too skinny to fend for himself."

"Dad…please." Foremans desperate eyes pleaded. When Reds hand found Foremans arm, something snapped in Hyde.

His eyes trailed from Red to Foreman to Mrs. Foreman, and finally to Jackie.

With a resigned sigh, he stepped forward. "Wait, Red. That's my stash, man. I just hid it in Foremans lunch."

"No, Steven!" Jackie shot up and paced her room. Tears streamed down her face. "Steven, stop it!"

Red dropped Foremans arm and marched towards Hyde. " _You're_ stash?" He stepped forward until Hyde was cornered between him and the two officers. "I expected better from you, Steven."

Hydes stomach flipped. Sweat escaped through to his clenched fists. He looked to his feet, unable to meet Reds disappointed stare. "I'm sorry, Red." He mumbled as the officers stepped forward.

"We'll have to take you in, son." The cop gripped his wrist and snapped a cuff onto it. Hyde winced at the new accessory but hid it carefully. Zen was for these moments, especially.

"Hyde…" Foreman stepped forward, briefly, before retreating behind his mother. "Hyde man, I'm sorry."

"Steven, just tell them that it wasn't yours. Please!" Jackie, hugging fluffy cakes close, begged. "Steven, you don't have to save everybody."

He looked up, focusing away from Reds depressing stare and centering on the gut-wrenching pink walls of Jackies room.

And that stupid magazine that splayed across her bedroom floor.

"A. My answer is A." He barely whispered the words. "I'm sorry, doll." Then, he cut her off.

He cut her off before she could watch him being lowered into the back of a cop car.

He cut her off before she could feel the pain of the cuffs on his wrists.

He cut her off before she could sense the disabling fear that coursed through his body.

As he left the Foremans house behind, Hyde knew that nothing would ever be the same again.


	13. Chapter 13

Authors Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. No direct Jackie/Hyde interaction in this one but they'll be plenty to come in the next chapter. Also, I used a grand total of seventeen 'mans' in this chapter. I just can't write Leo without them. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show', 'Stairway to Heaven', or 'In Your Eyes'. Also, much respect to Jimi Hendrix.

 **Beverly Hills, California- 6 AM**

"Mom, can I talk to you?"

Jackie peered into her parents' bedroom. Her fists clenched at the very thought of what she was about to do.

She had to do it, though. For Steven.

"Yes, honey. Come in." The older womans' melodic voice sang from inside of the cathedral like room. Bright orange paint adorned one wall while the rest of the room bathed in turquoise. Large orange flowers dotted the king-sized bed spread which was, at the moment, covered in layers of her mothers clothing.

"What are you doing?" Jackie scrunched her nose and observed the accompanying suitcase. "Mom, are you leaving again?"

Pamela Burkhardt spun around, flipped her hair, and flashed a pageant smile. "Honey, you know Fiesta De La Margaritas starts in a few days." She paused to hold a miniskirt against her hips. "Do you think this is too big?"

Jackie observed the slutty garment draped over her mothers body and shrugged. "It's a mini-skirt mom. I think you're good." The older woman shrugged and placed the skirt into her suitcase. Jackie, tentatively, stepped closer. "Mom, do you think maybe you could just stay home this year?"

Pamela looked up, aghast, and eyed her daughter. "Jacqueline, my friends are expecting me."

Jackie huffed, folder her arms over her chest, and sat on the bed. "Right, your _friends_." She paused and looked towards the closet. The older woman rifled through the hanging garments with ease. "Mom, I need your help."

Pamela turned and scrutinized a strapless dress. "Is this a homework thing, honey? Because you know Esmerelda is better at that sort of thing."

With a nervous sigh, Jackie clarified. She stared from beneath her lids and put on her best pout. "No, I need money."

Pamela faced her daughter for the first time smiled. "Money? Well, why didn't you just say so?" She cocked her head. "Wait, you're supposed to be grounded, young lady. What could you need money for?"

Jackie increased her pout. A few tears even slipped through at the thought of Steven. "Mommy, my friend is in trouble and he needs two hundred dollars and no one else can help him."

Pamela dropped the dress to her side. "Him?" She gasped and moved towards Jackie. "Honey, do you have a new boyfriend?"

"No…" Jackie avoided her eyes. "He's just a friend."

Pamela strutted to the bed and sat next to Jackie. "What have I told you about boys, honey? Friendships are for ugly girls. You shouldn't be associating with a boy unless he is your boyfriend-like Chip for example!"

Jackie sighed. "Chip cheated on me! I deserve better than Chip and if you loved me you'd think so too." Chewing her lip, she turned to face her mother. "Mom, please? You don't know Steven but he's a really good guy and he needs my help. Can you please ask daddy for me?"

Pamela looked to her lap and smoothed out her sundress. "Jacqueline, you must understand that your father and I just want what's best for you." She stood up and closed her suitcase. "Now, until you call Chip and apologize for your behavior I cannot help you or your little _friend_." She carried to the suitcase to the door, turning back only once. "You are a Burkhardt. Poor boys are not worth your time."

Jackie remained on the bed. She waited until the clacking heels receded and the front door slammed. She stood, moved to the window, and watched as the headlights of the town car pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

Then, without a second thought, she pushed through the layers of hanging dresses in the closet and found the safe. Unclenching her fist, she revealed the bobby pin.

"It's going to be okay, Steven. I promise."

 **Point Place, Wisconsin-Two Hours Later**

'Stairway to Heaven' had never been Hydes favorite Zeppelin song. Any rock song that was so highly accepted by the mass media concerned him. The Man did not like rock music. When it claimed to, chances were it had ulterior motives.

This didn't stop him from whistling the chorus over and over again from the metal cot in his cell.

Hell if it wasn't the only song he could think of at the time. That damned fuzzy feeling in the back of his head wasn't helping. He'd needed something to distract him from her constant pestering.

Closing his eyes, he whistled the chorus again.

"Hey, stop it, man." Demanded a disembodied voice. "I can't hear my head buzzing over your far out tunes."

Hyde complied. He was hardly in the mood for a fight. "Sure man, no problem." He leaned his head back against the cold concrete wall.

"Hey man…" The voice approached and landed beside him on the cot. Hyde inched away, never breaking his forward stare. "You're in for possession, right? I'm looking for a hook up."

Hyde sighed. He ran his hand over his face-recalling his lack of eyewear.

The cops had confiscated them. Fucking bastards.

"Look, you got the wrong guy." He opened his eyes and focused on the two tweakers twitching on the other side of the cell. "Try Garcia and Marley over there."

"No, I got the right guy." His crackling voice responded. "Those guys are tripping the light fantastic, man. They already got a guy."

Confused, Hyde turned to the stranger. Between the long scraggly beard and knotted hair, he could hardly make out the face. The long sleeved button down with a purple patterned vest easily gave him away, though.

Hyde inhaled the distinctly familiar scent.

Leaning closer, Hyde whispered. "Leo, you _are_ my guy."

The hippy chuckled. He slapped Hydes' shoulder, causing him to scoot farther away. "That's right, man. I _am_ your guy." He paused. Confusion settled into his features. "Wait, what guy?"

Hyde shook his head. "Whatever man. I can't help you. I can't even help me."

The hippy leaned back against the wall. "Why the long face, man?"

Hyde eyed him, hesitantly, before continuing. "I took the rap for a friend. It wasn't even _my_ …" He studied the area around the cell. One uniformed cop, a rookie at best, stood guard. " _Film_. Now I'm out on my ass. I've got nowhere to live. I'm screwed."

"Nah man, I meant why is your face so long?" The hippie stared, intently, at Hyde.

Hyde, suddenly amused, smirked. He gripped the older mans boney shoulder. "It's good to see you, Leo."

Leo grinned. He returned to the gesture. "The pleasure is all mine, man." Leaning in, he whispered. "Hey, are we supposed to kiss now, man?"

Hydes grin fell. He moved an inch in the other direction. "Look Leo, do you have a place I can crash? Just until I can figure something else out."

Leo grinned. "Sure, man. You can have my sons old room. Just make sure you pick up your toys when you're done playing with them." He paused, his voice lowering. "That's how he got evicted, man."

Hyde leveled Leos stare. He nodded and faced forward. "Right, no problem."

"Hey, how's Jackie, man?"

Hyde about-faced and eyed the elusive hippie. " _You_ know about Jackie?"

"Yea, man. You were talking to her the other day. You know, while we were sitting in our rectangle." He paused and chuckled. "Man, she is funny! Remember when she said I should cut my hair?"

Hyde turned back. "You mean circle." He paused. "And how do you know what she said?"

"Cause you have this freaky ESP thing going, man! She says stuff, and you say stuff, and then you tell me the stuff she says because she says you should say her stuff…" Leo held his forehead. "Man, I don't feel so good."

Hyde sighed. Oddly, he felt relieved that at least somebody else knew. Reclining against the wall, he placed his hands on his lap. "What do you think about that, Leo? See, lately I've been wondering if the government put a chip in my brain and now they're trying to control me by making me feel all this…stuff."

Leo laughed. "Nah man, that's just marriage. When I had a wife, man, she used to tell me what to do all the time." He paused, a tear escaping his eye. "Man, I miss having a wife. And a son. And Jimi Hendrix, man."

Hyde nodded, respectfully. Then, realizing Leos words, abruptly turned. "Hey, we aren't married! Get that straight. We aren't together. We haven't even kissed yet. Not that I want to kiss her…crap!"

"Chicks, man." Leo responded. "You can't kiss them, you can't not kiss them."

Just as Hyde tried to understand the old Hippies words, a cop pushed through the cell door.

"Steven Hyde?"

Hyde stood, quickly. "Yea, that's me."

The cop nodded in his direction. "You're free to go. Bails been posted."

Hyde gave Leo a quick nod. "See you at home, son." Leo replied, causing Hyde to lose his zen for just a moment.

He fingered his beard as he followed the officer out the cell. "Hey, uh, who posted my bail?"

The cop led him to desk. His eyes never left the papers in front of him.

"Steven! Oh, Steven!" Mrs. Foreman came running towards him. She engulfed him in a tight, but not unwelcome, hug.

"Mrs. Foreman?" Red and Eric stepped into view behind her. When she finally released him, Hyde looked to Red. "Hey, Red. Thanks for bailing me out."

Red stepped forward, hands in his pockets. "Oh, I didn't bail you out, Steven. We all came here so that my _dumbass son_ could set the record straight." He paused. "But we haven't done anything, yet."

"Lets see…" The cop mumbled from behind him. He flipped through a mountain of paperwork. "Looks like some money was wired over from California. Someone by the name of…"

Hyde stilled. He closed his eyes. The others looked on, confused. The officer continued.

"…Jackie Burkhardt."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

Authors Note: Thanks for reading. :) I'm thinking there may be about five chapters left to this series.

 **Beverly Hills, California -3pm**

Jackie stood, despondently, in front of her locker. The large plastic mirror stuck to the far back and reflected her downturned cherry lips.

She'd taken the lipstick from her mothers' dresser after stealing Stevens bail money.

The thought made her head swim.

"Jackie Burkhardt, common criminal." She cocked her head and flipped her hair. "But…still cute."

"Hey Jackie!" The earsplitting chirp warned of Julies arrival. Rolling her eyes, Jackie turned.

"Hey Julie!" She used her best cheerleader tone. The skinny blonde stood tall. Her legs went on forever in her short cheerleading skirt.

"Jackie, we have to talk. I heard that you and Chip broke up." She placed her hands on her hips and stuck her nose in the air.

Jackie, nose even higher, lengthened her petite form. "It was a mutual decision. Mostly because he's into gross redheads and I'm not into guys who are into gross redheads."

Julie huffed. "Well, who is your replacement boyfriend?"

Jackie shifted, nervously. "Uh, well, I hear Donnie Osmond is available!"

Julie wasn't amused. She stared Jackie down with her most notorious glare. "You know the rules, Jackie. You cannot be a cheerleader if you don't have a squad-approved boyfriend."

A familiar tingling washed over her head. Her vision blurred to reveal a parking lot.

"Steven?" Jackie mumbled and squinted between the two worlds.

Julie jutted out he hips. "Jackie, _Steven Masterson_ is on the chess team. _Soo_ not squad-approved!"

" _Hey Jacks. Can ya talk?"_

His gentle voice filled her head. A serene smile came over face. Realizing Julies presence, Jackie looked back to her. "You know what, Julie? It's none of your business who I'm dating because I quit. B.Y.E." She said in mock cheer-speak. "Bye!"

Slamming her locker, Jackie walked down the empty hall towards the ladies room. As she shoved the door open, she spoke. "Steven, are you okay?"

Hyde stepped heavily along the poorly paved Point Place streets.

"Yea, I'm fine." He kicked an obstructing stone and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Uh, sorry for disappearing. Red has the place wired like Watergate."

Jackie stared into the bathroom mirror. She aimed the mascara brush at her lashes and shared a relieved smile. "Wait, you mean you didn't get kicked out?"

He returned her grin. "Nah. Foreman confessed. Red threatened to put his foot up my ass…so basically it was just like any other day." He paused and eyed the park where he'd first talked to her. With little consideration, he headed towards the swing set. "Hey, uh, thanks for bailing me out."

Jackie slid the brush over her lashes and then examined her work. Satisfied, she focused on Steven. "You needed help, Steven. That's what friends do."

He planted himself in a swing and allowed the toes of his boots to make tracks in the sand. "So, was it Mommy or Daddy who loaned it to you?"

Jackie flinched at the question. She focused on her makeup kit. "Neither. I stole it."

Hyde chuckled. He lifted his feet and moved with the swing. "No way. You've come a long way, grasshopper." When her silence lasted too long, he grew serious. "Are you in trouble?"

Jackie traced an eye pencil over the lid of her blue eye. "No. They don't even know it's gone. Mom's off whoring in the South Pacific. Daddy, well…actually I haven't seen him in awhile."

Hyde squinted from the shifting horizon of Point Place to Jackies worried expression in the bathroom mirror. "So, you're living alone?"

Jackie considered the question before shaking off his palpable concern. "No. They're just…away. They'll come home eventually." Up close against the mirror, she noticed the hint of doubt in her own eyes. Frightened by it's presence, she pulled away and began packing up her makeup bag. "Um…I should go."

Hyde, disappointed, stood from the swing. He headed back towards the street. "You sure? Foreman ditched me so I'm walking home. I could use the company."

Jackie stepped out of the restroom and into the empty hallway. Her eyes grew wide with excitement. "Well, I do have a cheerleader story that I could tell you. See…Julie…"

Hyde turned the corner towards Foremans house. "Jackie, does it involve a naked cheerleader?"

She shook her head, confused. "No…"

Hyde hopped over a fence, cutting through a neighbors yard. "What did I tell you about cheerleader stories?"

Jackie rolled her eyes as she strode towards the bus stop. " _Cheerleading isn't interesting unless the cheerleaders are naked…_ " She huffed. "God, you're such a pig Steven!"

He laughed, taking the final strides towards home. "You know it, doll."

Jackie watched as her bus pulled towards the stop. "Well then, I have to go. My bus is here."

Hyde frowned and looked to the approaching driveway. Eric, Kelso, and Donna tossed a basketball back and forth. "Fine. Tell me the damn story."

Jackie clapped, excitedly. She took the two steps to get on the bus and found he seat in the very back. "Yay! So, Julie came up to me in the hallway. She started asking me about Chip and if I was dating anybody new and I said I was dating…Oh my god, are those _granny panties?_ "

Hyde stood, motionless, as Foreman pulled Donnas pants to her ankles in the middle of Foremans driveway.

He laughed. "Donna wears granny panties!" Recalling her words, he frowned. "Wait, so who did you say you were dating?"


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own That 70s Show or In Your Eyes.

Warning: A few swears. Nothing major.

Authors Note: Sorry for the massive delay in updates! Sadly, I've been busy doing actual real-world writing. :( The paycheck comes first, I guess. Anyway, I'm thinking 2-3 more chapters after this. Hope everyone is still reading!

 **Beverly Hills, California -4pm**

Jackie wrapped her sweater tightly around her small frame. She cradled her stomach with her arms and leaned back against the front door frame and stared out at her front porch. The blue lights lit up her entire neighborhood. They formed a spotlight aimed directly at her.

Her father, invisible in the backseat of the police car, escaped the embarrassment.

"Miss, are you sure you'll be okay alone here?"

Jackie turned to see a middle aged officer, the trademark mustache covering his top lip, and lied.

"I told you. I'm not alone. My mother will be home soon."

Even as the words left her mouth, she doubted them. None of the fifteen calls she'd placed to the remote island had amounted to a response.

"Okay. Well, if you need anything, feel free to call me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "And I mean _anything_." He followed up with an unsettling wink.

She took it, squinting at the small print. "Officer Dean Roberts." Pausing, she curled her lip. "Well, _Officer Dean_ , I appreciate the sentiment but I like my guys a little less…icky."

With a noncommittal shrug, he exited. Jackie slammed the door behind him.

"Ugh!" She slid down the back of the door and sat on the floor of her beautifully furnished mansion.

The one that was two months behind in rent.

" _Jackie, call pornstache back so I can kick his ass."_

A small smile crept up her face. "Steven, you need to stop picking fights with cops. I'm not bailing you out again."

Hyde finished his last hit and extinguished the joint on his jeans. "Fine. But this is the last time you get to bring that up!" He righted in the drivers seat of his El Camino. "So, guess the thievery runs in the family, huh?"

Jackie played with the sleeves of her sweater, indenting the fabric with her fingers. "That's not funny, Steven." Suddenly angry, she stood. "What am I going to do? My dad is going to prison. My mother won't call me back." Tears pushed through and fell from her eyes in waves. She covered them and sank back to the floor. "Oh Steven, I'm so scared."

Hyde gripped the steering wheel, tightly, and stared straight ahead towards the opening of the garage. His vision blurred with the remnants of the film. "Okay, I got it. Steal what's left of your dads money, buy some new bikinis, and fly to Fiesta De Los Margaritas."

"Did somebody say Margaritas, man?" Leo popped up from the backseat of the car. A cloud of smoke preceded him. "I want mine with five olives." He held up his hand and examined his five fingers closely. "Whoa…my hands are huge, man."

Hyde furrowed his brow and turned to his mentor. "Leo, you're thinking of martinis."

Leo broke into a grin. "Yea man, the kind you drink out of a fishbowl."

Jackie fumed. She paced her kitchen, arms crossed. "Steven, why are you making fun of me? My dad just went to prison." She paused and waved her hand in the air. "You were there!"

Hyde sighed. He opened the drivers' side door and stepped out into the messy garage. He lowered his voice, seeking privacy from his very baked friend. "Jackie, I'm trying to help, okay? What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know, Steven." She braced against the kitchen counter. "Maybe you could say something, _anything_ , to make me feel better."

He leaned against the outside of the garage, eyes lighting up with an idea. "Okay. You could bring him a copy of '1984' and hide a file inside."

Jackie shook her head and pouted angrily. "You know what? Forget it. I'm just gonna go."

"Jacks, wait." Hands in his pockets, he stepped further away from the garage. Jackie hugged herself, waiting. "Look, when my dad left the only thing that got my mom and I through were the jokes." He stared at a solitary black rock in the white gravel and nudged it with his toe. "I just…wanted to make you laugh."

Jackie walked into her living room and collapsed onto the couch. "That's sweet, Steven." With a small smile, she fingered a strand of her hair. "Why do you think our parents hate us?"

He looked to the sky and exhaled. Her fear overwhelmed him and he was, quickly, losing his high. "Because they're crappy parents, Jackie." Her emotions were becoming all too familiar. Suddenly angry at the world on her behalf, he stomped towards the street. "Don't do this to yourself, Jacks. They don't give a shit about you, so you don't give a shit about them."

Jackie curled into a tight ball and held her knees to her chest. She stared at the picture wall before her and the many portrait sittings her mother had dragged her to throughout the years.

She recognized her own fake smile in every one.

"But how do you not care, Steven?" She sat up, suddenly interested. "Teach me not to care."

Satisfied that, at least, she had stopped crying, Hyde persisted. "Okay. But zen is a very complicated process. Are you sure you're up for it?"

Sitting up higher, Jackie beamed. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes! Show me your ways, Steven Hyde."

With a long sigh, he paced back towards the garage. "Will do, grasshopper. Now, first repeat after me. _Whatever."_

Jackie relaxed her shoulders and flipped her hair dismissively. " _What-ever_."

Hyde smiled at her heartfelt attempt. "Close, but you have to dig deep. Tap into that place that just doesn't give a shit."

Jackie fell back onto the couch. "Wait, but what if I don't have a place like that?"

"No, you do." He removed the remainder of his joint and put it between his lips. "Everybody has a 'fuck it' place. Most are just too afraid to access it."

"Well not me." Jackie insisted. She picked up a couch pillow and hugged it in her lap. "I'm not afraid of anything."

Hyde smirked. He held his lighter up to the joint. "Except for clowns."

Jackie gasped and held the pillow tighter. "That clown squirted water _in my hair_! Then he laughed at me…like _I_ was the one with the bad hair!"

Hyde snorted as he exhaled his first hit. "You know, sometimes I forget how shallow you are."

Jackie sat upright and took a deep breath. She deadened her eyes and responded. " _What-ever_ , Steven."

Hyde, oddly proud, broke into a grin. "Not bad, grasshopper. Perfect context, a little forced, but with practice you could be a full-fledged zen master." He stepped back into the garage and leaned against the El Camino. Smoke trailed from his joint into the surrounding air.

Jackie grinned and then turned serious. "Thanks, Steven! Now keep insulting me so I can practice."

"No problem there." Hyde smirked just as Leo stuck his head through a cloud of thick smoke.

"Hey man, can you open the door man? I can't find the knob."

Hyde waved the smoke away as he reached down and pulled the door handle. The old hippy came tumbling onto the ground.

Jackie looked on, wide-eyed. She threw her hands to her mouth. "Oh my god! I mean… _what-ever_?"

"Wrong context, nice accentuation." Hyde clarified. He leaned down and offered his hand. "Leo, man, you okay?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know, man. Is my foot supposed to do this?" He twisted his foot in an unnatural angle, making a cracking sound.

Hyde raised his eyebrows. "Uh, I don't think so." Leo leaned on him as Hyde helped him up and back into the car. "Hey Jacks, I gotta go. My film dealer just broke his foot."

"Whatever, man." Jackie leaned back into the couch and sighed. "I mean, see ya."

When Leo was secured in his seat, Hyde ran over to the drivers side and started the ignition. "Okay, Leo. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Alright, man." Leo replied. "Hey man, you should go see your girlfriend."

Hyde scoffed and turned a corner tightly. He stitched his eyebrows. "She's _not_ my girlfriend!"

Leo laughed. "Sure, man. She's all alone though. And sad. A good boyfriend would visit."

Hyde ran a red light and revved the cars engine. "She lives in California. It's not like I can just walk over there."

Leo grinned and slapped Hydes shoulder. "Man, you should take your El Camino."

Hyde, confused, looked away from the road and towards the older man. "Leo, this is _your_ car."

Leo watched him, confused. "Are you sure, man? Cause you're driving it really well for a guy without a car."

Hyde shrugged. "Yea, Leo. I'm sure."

Leo stared out the window. "Huh. Why do I have a car when I can't even drive, man? Hyde, you should keep the El Camino man. Then you can go see your not-girlfriend and make her less sad."

Hyde, still confused, pulled into the hospital parking lot. He looked to the man next to him. "Leo, are you serious?"

Leo grinned. "Of course man, I'm a serious guy." He looked down to his feet and frowned. "Hey man, I think my foots gonna fall off."

Hyde put his hand on the older mans shoulder, smirking. "What do you think they made super glue for, man?" Hyde jumped out of the car and circled around to the passenger side. He opened the door and pulled the man into a half hug. "Thanks Leo."

Leo returned the embrace. "Anytime, man. Now lets go get that super glue."


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own "That 70s Show" or "In Your Eyes".

Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews! It really does help to know that you guys are out there reading. This is sort of a transition chapter but it will be moving quickly from here. I will do my best to put in some one-on-one (possibly sexy ;) ) time between Jackie and Hyde when they finally get together. I agree, the movie left me wanting more of that for Dylan and Becky.

 **Point Place, Wisconsin- 7pm**

"You know, Steven, once you find yourself the right girl you'll be happy to make a fool of yourself over her." Mrs. Foreman laughed as she scooped another spoonful of mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"She's right, Hyde." Foreman spoke through a forkful of pork roast. "I mean I'm always doing these dorky awkward things in front of Donna." He shook his head, serious. "That's just how much I love her."

Hyde raised his eyebrows. "Oh, is that what that is? Cause I thought you were just dorky and awkward."

Red lifted the napkin from his lap. "You're just lucky that girl even speaks to you, dumbass." He looked to Hyde. "Steven, what my wife is trying to say is that love makes you a dumbass." Mrs. Foreman stood over him and placed an angry hand on his shoulder. He flashed his biggest strained smile. "And there's my beautiful wife now."

Mrs. Foreman laughed, awkwardly. "Well, don't you listen to him Steven. I have a feeling that you're going to meet a special girl very soon." She winked in Foremans direction. Hyde creased his brow.

"That's _right_ mom." Foreman stood and set his napkin down on his plate. "In fact I'm going to go down to the par…particularly fun basement to hang out with my _girl_ friend." He cast a smirk in Hydes direction. "Come on down when you're ready, buddy."

Foreman disappeared into the basement and Mrs. Forman stepped backwards towards the refrigerator. "Well…" She laughed, awkwardly. "I think that laundry should be just about finished. I'll go check on it." She twirled around, opened the fridge, and pulled out a fully stocked cheese plate before running down the stairs.

Smugly, Hyde turned in his chair and faced Red. "So, they're throwing me a party, huh?"

Red leaned forward and picked up the remaining dinner roll. "She cooks for two days and won't even let me have a damn cube of cheese." He paused and took a bite out of the roll. "Yes, they're throwing you a party."

Hyde huffed and stood from his chair. He walked to the fridge and fetched a can of soda. "Well, surprises aren't my thing. I'm not going down there."

Red turned in his chair and glared. "Excuse me?" Hyde turned to see anger flare from Reds eyes. "Running around the hot jungle with commies shooting bullets at my ass crack wasn't my thing either. But I sucked it up, just like you're gonna go downstairs and let your nosy friends set you up with a girlfriend."

Hyde, mouth open, leaned against the fridge. "Yea well, I don't need a girlfriend." He slugged back some of the soda and looked to the older man. "I already have one."

Red raised his eyebrows. "Really? Is she invisible? Because I never see you with anybody other than my son and your dumbass friends."

Hyde stepped away from the fridge and walked towards the table, soda in hand. "Yea, well, she doesn't live around here." He paused. "Actually, I don't even know for sure if she is my girlfriend."

"Does she whine if you don't talk to her first thing in the morning and right before bed?" Red asked.

"Everyday." Hyde braced against the counter.

"Does she ask your opinion on things that you have no interest in and get mad when you don't _have_ an opinion?" Red persisted.

"Yes." Hyde, now interested, focused on Red.

"Do you act like a dumbass in front of her even though you know you're being a dumbass?"

Hyde threw his hands in the air. "Yes! All the freaking time, man."

"Well then…" Red picked up his plate and stood from the table. "Congratulations son, you have a girlfriend."

Hyde found his chair and fell into it. "Huh." He looked to the smiling man currently standing over the sink. "So, what do I do now?"

Red looked back, flabbergasted. "I thought the _other_ one was the dumbass. You _go_ to her. Bring her flowers…or candy. They love that sentimental stuff." He paused. "Mostly though, if you really like this girl, you bring your best self. None of that 'it's not my thing' crap. If it's her thing it's your thing. Her problems are your problems. Got it?"

Hyde leaned forward and grinned. "Yea, actually I think I do." He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, Red." He moved towards the backdoor and stopped just short of opening it. "Uh, do you think I should…"

"Just get out of here!" Red ordered. "They have alcohol and a cheese plate. They don't need you."

Hyde smirked. "Thanks Red."

He marched to the El Camino and jumped inside. Just as he turned the key his eyes flashed white. Her voice broke through in a shuddering sob.

"Steven..."

"Jackie? What's going on?" He squinted to see a stark white room with only a bed and dresser. The overhead light shone down harshly and hurt his eyes. "Where are you?"

"It's...I don't know." Her whispers came through broken and confused. "The social worker came to my school and she made me…she took me…" Her hands flew to her eyes blocking out any visual cues. "What do I do, Steven?"

"Crap." Hyde started his engine and pulled out of the driveway, eager to get on the road. "Okay, listen. You have to go along with them, at least for now. But I'm on my way."

He felt her tuning into his vision and offered full view of the road ahead. "Wait, you have a car?" She mumbled into her palm.

"Long story, doll. I'm on my way to you." Her relief washed over him and he smiled. "I should be there in a couple days. Can you hold out?"

Jackie opened her eyes to the foreign room. Finally realizing what he meant, she squealed."Oh my god, Steven you're coming to rescue me! That's so romantic!"

"Shut your pie hole! You wanna get caught?"

When she laughed quietly he shook his head, frustrated. What had he gotten himself into?

"Just lay low, okay? And don't shut me out-not at all. I need to see everything."

"Okay." Jackie nodded and bit her lip. "Steven, won't you get in trouble?"

Hyde cranked the radio up as he turned onto the highway. Zeppelin- of course.

"I think Red will understand." He paused and, for once, embraced the way his stomach turned to knots at the sound of her voice. "I'm just going to see my chick."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

Authors Note: Thanks for following, reading, and reviewing guys. It means a lot to know you're out there. I also like that you're interested in the movie. It definitely will enhance your understanding of my story but it's a beautiful premise on its own. I've been working on this chapter for several days now. I think it's finally at its best. I'm thinking there will be two more chapters and then an epilogue, but who knows really. I just write for as long as the characters will let me. :)

 **Los Angeles, California 5AM**

The lights flickered on long before the sun came up. Jackie shifted on her cot, examining the multiple other cots in the same room. The other girls stirred, orphans like her. They all appeared to know each other and none of them seemed remotely interested in her.

She told herself that this was a good thing. Steven had insisted she keep a low profile.

"Up and at 'em girls. It's time for chores." An older woman, her face in a permanent scowl, shaded the doorway. She took a few steps into the room and stopped at Jackies' cot. "Jacqueline, welcome to "St. Mary's Home of Perpetual Sorrow. I'm head Mistress Mary. You'll be on kitchen duty this morning." An apron landed at the foot of her bed as the woman about-faced and exited the room.

Jackie turned back into her pillow. "Steven, where are you?" She whispered.

Hyde shifted his focus from the road, briefly, as he emptied another gallon of gas into his car. "Just crossed into Nevada, doll." He smirked, heading into the station to pay. "Kitchen duty? Guess the jokes on them."

Jackie rolled her eyes and sat up in bed. "Well, I'm glad you're amused." She fingered the stained apron and glowered. "Gross!"

"Hey look, the new girl thinks she's better than us." Jackie looked up to see a tall blonde staring back. "Keep sticking your nose up, _midget_. I'll be happy to…" She punched her opposite palm with her right fist. "put it back in it's place."

Jackies eyes widened. She pulled her knees to her chest and froze. The blonde girl and her three followers laughed as they walked out. Now alone in the room, Jackie spoke in a frightened whisper. "Steven, please hurry."

Hyde shoved his money into his back pocket as he walked out of the station. "I'll be there before you know it, doll." He whispered, holding back his concern. He jumped into the El Camino and started it up immediately. Revving the engine, he zoomed out of the parking lot. "So, have you decided where you want to go from there?"

Jackie stood from her cot and gathered the clothes they'd provided for her. It could have been worse. At least she would look cute in the plaid skirt and white button up shirt. "Well, I've always wanted to see Chicago..." Her eyes flashed with mischief.

"Chicago?" Hyde swerved around a crawling Toyota and ignored the resulting angry honk. "Huh. Never saw you as city girl. Too many foreigners."

Jackie maneuvered through the chatty crowd of girls and chose an empty toilet stall. She shut and locked the door before reaching for the top button of her nightgown. "Don't look." She whispered the warning inciting a playful smirk from Hyde. "Well, where were _you_ thinking?"

Hyde shrugged. He enjoyed a few aversive glances of her cleavage before focusing back on the road. "Well, I've heard Vegas has its perks." He smirked when he received the cute flare of temper he'd been aiming for.

"Steven!" She lowered her voice at the halting silence of the other girls. "We are not going anywhere that involves sluts being slutty."

Hyde sighed. "Fine, no strippers." He paused to observe as she slipped her leg into the red plaid skirt. "But we're taking that outfit with us, young lady."

Jackie blushed beneath her sea of hair. With a shy smile, she responded. "I guess we can do that."

Her emotions mingled with his and he had to swallow them down, if only briefly. He flashed a sly grin. "Admit it, grasshopper, I've corrupted you."

Jackie finished her last button and let her fingers slide over the smooth fabric. "Okay, maybe you have _some_ influence over me, Steven Hyde. If not for you, I wouldn't know how to pick a lock." She chewed her lip, suddenly hesitant.

Hyde glanced in the rear view mirror just in time to see the sun touch the horizon. He removed his glasses, giving her a better look at the show and his worried blue eyes. "You sure about this? Cause if you're gonna back out you should do it now."

Her chest fluttered with his unspoken fears. She stepped out into an empty bathroom. Two steps and she stood in front of the full body mirror. She took her time, surveying every inch of herself. Her brown locks hung limper than usual. They'd taken her makeup, leaving her face a blank pale canvas. Her lower lip puckered, an involuntary reaction. She tilted her head and followed the line of her neck down to the too big white button down. Her breasts hardly filled it out. Tracing the buttons down her chest, her lower lip trembled. She undid them, one by one, and inserted her hand between the folds of the shirt. She laid it snuggly against her heart and closed her eyes. "You feel that?"

Her emotion hit him like a fright train. He raised his right hand from the wheel and examined it. Her heart beat clear as day against his empty palm. "Jackie…"

Jackie smiled, tears in her eyes. "I can feel that you love me. Just like you can feel that I'm scared. I really am, Steven, I'm really scared. But you're the only person in the entire universe who fixes that. You make me better." She traced her fingers down and caressed her breast. "So, I'm not changing my mind. I'm still your chick."

He flexed his fingers, enjoying the sensation of her soft skin beneath his calloused hand. He eyed his right arm. It veered slightly crooked due to the premature removal of the cast so long ago. "I think you've always been my chick."

Jackie opened her eyes just as Hyde glanced back at the road.

"There! Turn there." She pointed emphatically at the approaching exit. He followed her directions with a sudden jolt of the El Camino. She grew a relieved smile. "You'll be here soon."

He met her shining eyes in the mirror. "Sure will. Hey Jacks I…"

"Ms Burkhardt! Kitchen, now!"

Jackie swung around to see the head mistress tapping her foot impatiently.

"Oh, uh, yes of course. I'm sorry head mistress."

Hyde smirked. "Head mistress…that's hot."

Jackie walked up ahead towards the hallway. Under her breath, she whispered. "Steven, one more word and I will _forget_ the uniform."

Hyde grinned even wider. "That was even hotter, doll." He paused. "Go on, I like it when you order me around."

"Ugh!" Jackie shook her head, aiming her whisper at the ground. "Just because I love you does not mean I won't kill you!"

Hyde spotted the next road sign.

 _Los Angeles- 50 miles._

He adjusted the rearview mirror and gave her his best benign smile.

"You know, you're cute when you're threatening my life."

"Aww, you think I'm cute?"


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'.

Authors Note: Well, here we are! They finally meet. There will be more close physical contact in the next chapter because, well, I had to end this one somewhere! Thanks for reading and let me know how I'm doing. :)

 **Los Angeles, California- 8pm**

Hyde sat quietly, his arm dangling out of the driver side window. The El Camino rested beneath a grove of trees. The slow melody of Bob Segers' 'Night Moves' poured from the radio in a calming whisper. The sun cast slivers of orange light over the hood and formed rainbows in the pristine paint job.

He wasn't watching the sunset, though. Instead, he focused his eyes on the old decrepit building about three hundred feet away. He especially watched as the security guard made his rounds and triple checked the lock on the tall iron fence.

" _So, what do you think?"_

Her raspy whisper cut into his concentration. He shifted and released a sigh.

"It's doable." He studied the security guard as he disappeared behind the building. "Have to wait till it gets dark though."

Jackie shifted in her uncomfortable wooden chair. The lounge was crawling with girls. They huddled in their designated clicks. She stared out the window at the spec of black in the distance. She shaded her eyes with her hand and squinted, trying hard to see him.

"Is that you?"

Hyde grinned as the sight of himself through her eyes. "Guess so. Can't see you, though."

Jackie grinned foolishly and shifted her leg beneath her plaid skirt. "Well, I can describe myself to you."

Hyde chuckled. The chorus of the song erupted just as the sun made its final peek over the horizon. "Flirting at time like this? You're coming along nicely."

Jackie pursed her lips and stared at the car in the distance. "Well, I'm wearing a practically see through white blouse. I mean, it's a good thing I have a white bra because otherwise I would be the slut of the orphanage, Steven!"

"That's my girl." Hyde grew a teasing smile. "You know, if you wanted to try the girl on girl thing I could always rescue you tomorrow…"

Jackie gasped. "Nuh uh, Steven! Don't you dare make me spend another night in here."

Hyde shrugged. "Well, suit yourself then. I hear orphan chicks do a lot of freaky things, though." He fingered the car keys as they hung from the ignition.

"Well then lucky you, Steven, because I _am_ an orphan chick!" Jackie giggled.

"Huh." Hyde rocked his head to the final notes of his favorite Seger tune. "Funny how that worked out." He thrust the keys into the ignition and fired up the El Camino. "Guess it's about that time, doll." He paused as he shifted into reverse. He stared at the building, feel her return stare. "Nervous?"

Jackie touched the black spec through the glass windowpane. She whispered in a shaky voice. "Maybe"

Hyde shook his head. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. I promise."

Jackie nodded. "Okay." She paused and shut her eyes. "But Steven, what if it's different? When we meet, I mean."

Sensing her fears, he matched them with the one thing he was sure of. "You're my chick, remember? We're only just getting started."

With a relieved smile, Jackie leaned back in her chair. "Right, I remember."

Just then, the head mistress cascaded into the lounge area and addressed the group.

"Okay ladies, it's lights out in fifteen minutes." She sent a cold glare in Jackie's direction. "No exceptions."

"I'll see you soon." Jackie whispered to Steven as she stood and moved with the other girls towards the sleeping quarters.

"Yea, soon." Hyde responded. He revved the engine and shifted into reverse. The track changed to Bob Seger's "You'll Accompany Me." Satisfied, he knew what he had to do.

With a determined nod, Hyde pulled out onto the road and followed the course he'd mapped out earlier. He wove through the wooded area toward the back of the building. Once in the hidden lot, he shifted into park and turned off the engine. One deep breath and he was out of the car and heading towards the back gate.

Jackie followed the line of girls into the bathroom. As they all began readying for bed, she stood to the side and fiddled with her bag. Just as she was about to sneak into the closest toilet stall, someone shoved her. She cried out as her wrist took the brunt of the fall. Holding her injured arm, her eyes traveled upwards to see the tall blonde bitch from the previous day.

"Oh gee, the midget hurt herself. Too bad her rich daddy is too busy in prison to save her."

Jackie's mouth fell open. She flashed from her mother's retreat to the islands to her dads arrest to Chip screwing that redheaded slut. Suddenly, all of her anger and frustration from the last few months piled up and came out of her mouth in a single word. "Bitch!"

The bathroom quickly emptied as the girls moved away from the pending violence.

Jackie eyed the waiting stall. Specifically, she focused on the window just above it.

All that stood between her and Steven was some blonde bitch.

She stood, releasing her aching wrist, and balled her fists. "You know what? I am soo done with everyone telling me how to think and what to do and what to wear and who to be!" She took two steps toward the girl. "You wanna call me a midget? Fine. I'm petite, that's okay. Better than having to buy special sized shoes for your lumberjack feet!" The girl took a step back from her, her expression not as confident anymore.

"And you want to talk about my dad? Fine. He messed up, gambled away the family fortune, and signed away his daughter! Oh, and my mom? Well, she's a cold-hearted whore who sleeps her way around through Mexico." The blonde took another step back until she hit a wall. Jackie stopped only an inch away. "And me? Well, I'm crazy. See, I talk to the boyfriend in my head. His name is Steven and he will kick your ass. All I have to do is ask." She balled up her right fist and held it up. "So, should I ask?"

The blonde's posse backed, reluctantly, towards the door. "I think she's really crazy, Sam. Come on, lets get out of here."

Sam slid away from Jackie. She disappeared into the sleeping quarters.

With a sigh, Jackie leaned against the wall.

" _Damn, Jacks. That was hot."_

She grinned. "Yea, it was." She crouched down and picked up her suitcase with her good hand. She spun around and entered the last stall in the line. Locking the door behind her, she focused on Steven. "Okay, what do I do now?"

Hyde moved along the walls of the building. He crouched below a window just as the outside lights flickered on. "Crap." He muttered, hiding in a small shadow as the guard appeared across the yard. He handled his left wrist, tenderly, feeling her pain. "Feels like a sprain. I can help you out of the window but you have to wait for my cue."

"Okay." She whispered. She set the toilet seat down and sat on top of it. Her anxious eyes rapidly scanned the graffiti on the stall walls. Her targeted ears picked up the rustle of the girls settling in the next room. The head mistress would be in soon. "Steven, please hurry."

He smiled. Her presence on the other side of the wall kicked up his adrenaline. Reaching around the ground, he found a large stone. "Hey, you feel that?" The guard began closing in on his hiding spot.

"Feel what?" Jackie filled with worry. "Steven, what's going on?"

Hyde grinned. He lifted his arm and held the rock between two fingers. "Freedom, doll." He flicked his wrist and threw the rock towards the front of the building. It hit with a loud thud. The approaching guard turned, eyed the front of the building, and ran towards the sound. "Go, now!"

Jackie pushed her bag towards the cracked window and shoved it through. Hyde caught it on the other side. Then, she grabbed the sill with her uninjured hand and pulled. With her tiptoes on the toilet, she managed to hoist herself up onto her forearms. Here, she got stuck. She jumped and wiggled but, without the help of her right hand, it seemed impossible.

Then, rough hands grabbed her arms and pulled. She sailed through the window easily and landed on top of her rescuer.

Blindness was new for them. Through their shared darkness, they pawed at each other in a sea of overwhelming feeling. Hyde maneuvered until he had Jackie's face in his hands. Jackie gripped his biceps and held on as if he were her only lifeline. Then, their eyes finally adjusted.

Jackie smiled. Hyde smiled back. He brushed her mangled hair from her face and laughed at the shared sensation.

"Man, this is like being high."

Jackie giggled. She moved her hands down his arms and over his torso. "You, you're real. You're actually here!"

"Good to know." He cocked his head and removed his glasses. "Hey, I'm gonna try something."

He lowered his head to meet hers and she, sensing his intention, moved up to meet his. Their lips met in between and sent shockwaves through their systems. His heart beat faster and hers followed in exact rhythm. Everything he'd ever known about chicks disappeared when she, awkwardly, ran her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss. Sights and sounds blurred when he caressed her cheeks with the feather light touches of his thumbs.

It was the footsteps that forced him to pull away. Looking up, he saw the flashlight beam making it's way towards them. He placed a chaste kiss on Jackie's lips and leaned his forehead against her.

"We gotta run."


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own 'That 70s Show' or 'In Your Eyes'. The songs used in this chapter are not mine either.

Warning: Sex! Lots of it. In fact, lets just consider this chapter rated M.

Authors Note: Phew! That was a really long epilogue! I hope it meets everyone's expectations. This is where I'm going to end this story but I am considering writing a sequel about their life on the road. Let me know in the reviews if you'd be up for reading something like that. Thanks for the reads and reviews. They always brighten my day. :)

 **Somewhere in Nevada, Midnight**

The stars shined down upon the hood of the El Camino. Crickets chirped just loud enough to be heard over the mellow hum of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone."

The surrounding trees held them closely in a comforting bubble of isolation. They'd driven for hours and, just when they began to feel safe, Hyde had driven another hour- just to be sure. They'd landed somewhere over the border of Nevada in a sea of trees.

Jackie immersed herself in Steven's touch. Each brush of skin sent shivers through her entire body. Every boy that she'd ever kissed, okay so there had only been one, could not even compare to Steven. His gentle touch contrasted well with his rough hands. Soft and hard at once, it awakened a burning need inside of her. She pulled her arm away from his rippling back and placed a quiet palm to his chest.

His lips left hers immediately. Eye to eye, she studied him.

"What Jacks?" His voice came out in rough breathy gasps. Though his tone was harsh, his eyes remained kind.

"Steven, I'm ready." She spoke in an overly confident whisper.

Hyde looked her over. Her cheeks flushed under his gaze. He smirked. She was doing that thing where she pretended to be strong again. He'd felt it a lot in the last few months. Now though, with her trapped beneath him, he realized just how vulnerable she felt. With a reluctant sigh, he rolled off of her and onto his back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter.

"Jackie, you can relax okay? I'm not in any hurry."

Jackie's lip fell into a heavy pout. She sat up against the windshield, shifting the blanket beneath them. "Well, maybe _I_ am."

Hyde looked up from his lighter, unlit joint hanging from his lips, and spoke through tight lips. "What?"

Jackie shrugged. She looked down to her lap and cocked her head. With a slow smile, she met his eyes from below. "Okay, see I've been waiting for my prince charming my whole life and now, well I'm tired of waiting!" She paused, suddenly more insistent. "I am _not_ a patient person, Steven."

Hyde took the unlit joint from his lips. "Wait, so who's prince charming?" He paused to consider the metaphor. "Is it Donny Osmond?"

Jackie grinned, suddenly shy. "No." She leaned forward and took his hands in her own. "It's you, Steven. It always has been you."

He took a moment to settle into her sincerity. He studied their hands together and felt the butterflies in her stomach, or was it his? Nah, he didn't have any reason to be nervous…right?

Crap. This chick was something else. She was turning him into an even girlier version of Foreman.

With a light sigh, Hyde squeezed her hands. "Fine. But if we're going to do this, we're doing it right."

He released Jackie and jumped off of the hood. He strolled around to the driver's side door and crawled into the front seat. He popped the Lynyrd Skynyrd 8-track out of the deck and searched, loudly, through the glove compartment.

Jackie ducked her head around the windshield. "Steven, what are you doing?"

Sprawled over the front seat, he sifted through tapes impatiently. "Shut your pie hole and you'll find out."

Jackie sighed and turned toward the front of the car, arms crossed. When the romantic melody of Led Zepplin's "Thank You" poured from the car, she smiled.

"Oh, Steven." Hand to her mouth, she took his offered hand and hopped off of the car.

He held her face in his hands and placed a single kiss on her lips. "You sure about this, doll?"

She nodded, meeting his eyes. "Yes. Very sure."

"Okay." He leaned in and kissed her deeply, causing his head to swim with their combined emotions. He led her toward the open backseat of the car and broke their kiss as he lowered her onto the seat. "Man, this is gonna be a trip."

Jackie laughed as she crawled backwards towards the far end of the car. She locked eyes with Steven, felt his excitement enticing her own, and touched the top button of her white blouse. One by one, she released the buttons from their hole until her white lacey bra became visible. Then, with Steven only inches away, she released the clasp and removed both the blouse and bra.

Hyde's heartbeat quickened at the sight of her. He felt her sudden bashfulness at his intense gaze, but couldn't bear to look away. He advanced towards Jackie and covered her with his body. He pushed some dark hair out of her face and glimpsed her nervousness.

"You're so beautiful." He ran his hands around her back, over her shoulders, down her arms and then, slowly, up over her breasts. "You drive me crazy, you know." He monitored her for discomfort but found her eyes wide and engaged on him. When her stare didn't break, he did. "What?"

"You love me, Steven."

She whispered the words that ignited those damn butterflies again. He'd never used those words before and had always sworn never to. Still, he wasn't a liar.

He rolled his eyes. "Yea, Yea. You love me, too." She broke into a tremendous smile that lit up her entire face. This beautiful half naked girl was killing him.

Jackie chewed her lip in anticipation as he brought his face to hers and met her lips in a passionate kiss. His tongue parted her lips and mingled with hers. It was their previous make out session times a thousand. Every nerve ending in her body tingled. She snaked her hands from his curly locks, down his back, and underneath his shirt. She took the Zeppelin shirt with her and he barely left her lips to remove it completely.

He couldn't get enough of her skin. He ran his fingers from her breasts down to her stomach and stopped when she squirmed. He hesitated but her gigging relaxed him with the realization that she was only ticklish. With a devilish smirk, he set in on her ribs only to catch himself laughing too.

"Crap!" He proclaimed as she pulled him back towards her and laughed. "Okay, that's not fair."

Jackie nodded. "Yes, it is." She placed a chaste kiss on his lips. Her hands hovered over his belt, briefly, before he took control again. His lips crashed into hers as he reclined her completely on the seat. Then, he layered feather kisses from her lips, down her neck, and pampered her breasts. She replied to his ministrations with a contented sigh and he moved farther down her to her belly. He encircled her hips with his hands and placed kisses around her belly button. Then, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her plaid skirt and followed the material around until he reached a button. He looked to her eyes and caught her quiet anticipation before returning to the impeding garment. Once the button was free, he slid the skirt over her hips and down her legs. He discarded it into the front seat and sat a moment, admiring her body.

Jackie propped herself up on her elbows and watched the boy at her feet. His eyes glossed over as they fixated on her.

"Aww, Steven." She rose to a sitting position and met him on the other side of the car. Standing on her knees, she took his face in her hands and lightly kissed his lips. Then, she dropped her hands and began unbuckling his belt. He allowed her to, this time, but his eyes never left hers. He cupped her face and sent warmth throughout her body. Her heart raced and her eyes moistened at their shared pleasure. When his lips met hers her legs weakened and she fell backwards, pulling him with her.

Once she had stopping laughing, she noticed that he had taken his pants off completely. He held his weight on his arms as he hovered over her- wearing only blue boxer shorts. She met his eyes and felt it instantly.

"You're nervous."

He averted his eyes, momentarily. "No, I just….shut your pie hole!"

She broke into a reluctant smile and it was her turn to break eye contact. "It's okay. I am too."

Hyde touched her cheek and gently brought her back to face him. Her eyes held questions but she didn't resist him. "We don't have to do this." She gave him a small smile and laced her fingers into his hair. She stared, dreamily, and he let all of her fear, nervousness, and excitement wash over him.

"I know." Her long fingernails scraped against his skill and the feeling nearly brought him over the edge. "But I want to be with you, Steven. If anything, I'm nervous that I'm not going to be very good at it."

"Are you kidding?" He adjusted his weight so that he could lie, mostly, on his right side. "Jackie, you're already good at it." He gestured to the bulge in his boxers and gained the reaction he'd intended when she laughed.

"Oh! I guess I am." With that, she leaned upwards and kissed him deeply. Unwilling to break contact this time, he followed her back down to the seat. Her hands slipped between their bodies and gripped the waste band of his boxers. The gentle scrape of her nails trailed over his hips and legs as the shorts landed at his knees. From there, he took over and pushed them the rest of the way off.

Now completely naked, he slowed their kiss. He brought his left hand to her pale pink panties and savored the silky material between his fingers. When he felt her smile into the kiss, he gripped the waste band and pulled them down to her thighs. He left her lips, briefly, and checked in to see her smiling back. Moving down, he slid her panties the rest of the way off and discarded them on the floor. With a brief glimpse at her wide eyes, he trailed up her thighs and placed feather light kisses on all of the skin leading up to her entrance.

Jackie's eyes widened as tremendous pleasure shot through her body. Warmth rose from her middle to her chest and landed in her cheeks as Steven's touch left her breathless.

Now, straddling her naked form, he rested his forehead on hers and stared into her mismatched eyes.

"You ready doll?"

Jackie blushed. With a single nod, she spread open and allowed him inside.

Hyde grabbed the condom he'd taken from the glove compartment and put it on. Then, he placed a single kiss upon her forehead as he entered her. He felt a jolt of pain when she whimpered and clung to him like a lifeline. He hugged her tightly and whispered apologies. Then, a slew of emotions and sensations bombarded him. He remained still inside of her, as they collapsed into each other. Every nerve ending in their bodies came to life with their magnetic collision. Hyde pulled away just enough to catch Jackie's eyes and saw the same overwhelming emotion that he felt.

Jackie began moving her hips into Steven and he responded by pushing further into her. With each thrust her vision exploded with pleasure. She clumsily moved her hands around Steven's body trying to contain the sensations. He ran his fingers through her hair and took her lips in an explosive kiss. That was all it took to send Jackie over the edge. She cried out and ground her hips into him.

He lost it then. His arms could barely hold his weight as he thrust into her one last time. He rested his head on her chest as the sensations slowly alleviated. Her heart beat into his ears and her breath warmed his forehead. Slowly, he picked himself up to meet her eyes again.

Jackie looked back. For once, she had nothing to say. Everything had just been said in their actions. Instead, she brushed some sweat from Steven's brow and placed a kiss on his cheek. He smiled in return and laced his arm under her. He adjusted her so that she was on her side and laid on his side, facing her.

She snuggled into his chest. Hyde whispered in her ear. "So, wanna see how many laws we can break in Chicago?"

Jackie smiled. "I can't wait."


End file.
